NAD Refers Claims for ‘Steuart’s Pain Formula’ to FTC for Further Review

New York, NY – Nov. 19, 2015 – The National Advertising Division has referred advertising claims for “Steuart’s Pain Formula,” a product promoted by Steuart’s Laboratory, Inc., to the Federal Trade Commission for further review. The company declined to participate in NAD’s review of its advertising claims.

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

The claims at issue were challenged by EuroPharma, Inc., maker of the Terry Naturally product line of dietary supplements.

Challenged claims included:

• …a unique formulation for relieving joint and muscle pain.

• An all natural unique formulation that targets joint and muscle pain associated with arthritis and injuries.
• It contains Comfrey and Arnica in a liposome base that penetrates the skin rapidly.
• Steuart’s Pain Formula provides significant and rapid relief of joint and muscle pain associated with arthritis and injuries.
• It has little or no odor and it penetrates that skin instantly.
• Steuart’s Pain Formula will normally reduce pain within 5 to 15 minutes after application and can be effective for up to 8 hours.
• Great for Arthritis, Back Aches, Joint and Muscle Pain.
• “It knocks the Pain Right Out.”

NAD also requested substantiation for the following testimonials:

• “I participated in a triathlon and I did not adequately train for this physical challenger. I completed the event and I was very sore and still to the point that I had difficulty walking.  I applied a modest amount of Steuart’s Pain Formula on my legs and within 10 minutes I was able to walk normally.  The pain and soreness disappeared completely.”
• “After I spend a day in my wheel chair I end up with a lot of back, neck and shoulder pain. Within a half hour of applying Steuart’s Pain Formula I am pain free.”
• “John uses Steuart’s Pain Formula for foot pain associated with diabetic neuropathy…Using it will give him relief so that he is able to sleep.”
• “It works better than anything on the market”

• “I put the Pain Formula on my knees about 10:00 a.m. this morning, and it’s now 9:00 p.m., and I’m still pain free…I could feel it working as soon as I put it on.”
• “[O]ne woman I gave a sample to….she’s off [arthritis] medication and completely satisfied with this alternative.”
• “was able to get relief from the post-[open heart] surgical pain in his chest.”

The advertiser declined to provide a substantive response to NAD’s initial inquiry.  The advertiser then again failed to file a written substantive response within the additional fifteen days granted by NAD pursuant to NAD/NARB Procedures, Section 2.10(B) or participate in any way in the self-regulatory process.

In light of the advertiser’s failure to provide a substantive response to NAD’s request for substantiation, NAD has referred the claims to the FTC for further review.

Note: A recommendation by NAD to modify or discontinue a claim is not a finding of wrongdoing and an advertiser’s voluntary discontinuance or modification of claims should not be construed as an admission of impropriety. It is the policy of NAD not to endorse any company, product, or service. Decisions finding that advertising claims have been substantiated should not be construed as endorsements.