When the Tin Man’s joints lock up in the classic film, “The Wizard of Oz,” all it takes is a squirt from the oil can to get things back in working condition. In real life, getting frozen or inflamed joints to move smoothly—and without pain—is not quite so simple.
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion reports 46 million Americans—one in five—have been diagnosed with arthritis or another rheumatic condition by a health care professional. In fact, the term arthritis describes more than 100 different conditions that affect joints and other parts of the body. It is one of the most chronic health problems, and one of the nation’s most common causes of disability, limiting the activities of nearly 19 million adults.
The most common form of the disease is osteoarthritis (OA), also called “degenerative joint disease.” It is caused by the breakdown of cartilage and bones from the wear and tear of life, resulting in pain and stiffness in joints such as the knees, hips, neck and fingers. As the cartilage degrades, the bones rub together, causing pain and limiting mobility. OA affects both men and women, and usually occurs after the age of 45, manifesting initially as general pain and stiffness in the joints. Treatments include medications, education, physical activity or exercise, heat or cold, joint protection, pacing activities, weight loss if overweight, self-care skills and sometimes surgery.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the other common form of arthritis. It is a chronic autoimmune disease that can impact any joint in the body. RA is found primarily in women, and usually strikes between the ages of 20 and 45. The condition is caused by a malfunctioning immune system that attacks healthy joints, inflames the lining of the joints and leads to cartilage degeneration and joint malformation that primarily affect the hands and feet. RA is a chronic condition and its presence ebbs and flows, which can make it hard to detect.
Other rheumatic conditions include lupus (chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin, joints, blood and kidneys); gout (causes sudden, severe attacks of pain and tenderness and swelling joints, particularly the big toe); and fibromyalgia (characterized by generalized muscle pain and fatigue).
While there are certain contributing factors to development of arthritis—including obesity and immune dysfunction—the primary one is simple age; among adults older than 65, more than half are affected by some type of arthritis. Add to this the aging Baby Boomer population, and it’s no wonder that incidence of arthritis is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates by 2030, 67 million Americans aged 18 or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
However, this expanded market, coupled with growing consumer awareness of the importance of preventive care and more research into the potential of nutraceutical compounds to address joint health, affords opportunity for marketers of joint health products. A recent report from market research firm Frost & Sullivan, “U.S. Bone and Joint Health Ingredients Market,” finds the market earned revenues of more than $178.4 million in 2008 and estimates to reach $246.4 million in 2015. There is growing interest in cutting-edge ingredients that can provide product differentiation and enhanced efficacy, although the bulk of attention has remained on established ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid (HA).