What began hundreds of years ago as a pain remedy on the island of diseases reached a staggering 43.5 million. Trinidad has evolved into the United States’ first plant-derived, anti-inflammatory drug discovery credited to a Black-owned company.
RelieveIt is a pain relief medicine and the brainchild of W. Caleb Williams, founder and CEO of SprainGo LLC, Tampa. It was derived from a remedy created by his grandmother, Arabella Skinner, a community healer for the common people as modern medicine was inaccessible to them on the island. Mother Skinner discovered the extraordinary restorative qualities of the resin from the Caribbean Pine in the late 1800’s and blended it with other natural ingredients to produce healing remedies.
Mother Skinner’s remedy remained dormant for over 100 years until 2013 when Williams’ son suffered a severe ankle sprain during a pro soccer tryout and his older brother suggested using the family remedy.
“7am the following day my son indicated that most of the swelling and pain was gone, allowing him to complete the tryouts,” Williams said. “Witnessing an overnight recovery from a sprain that could have sidelined my son for weeks became one of the driving forces that led my walk away from an executive role in the financial services industry. I realized that weekend that my grandmother’s healing remedy was special.”
Natural products for medicinal purposes have played a significant role in healthcare for centuries. Now there is a renewed interest in natural compounds for the development of new products as consumers seek more holistic treatments for pain, and RelieveIt meets that need head-on.
“Renowned scientists from the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa spent months isolating compounds in the Caribbean Pine resin, and in June 2019 the most active component was identified and became the first plant-derived anti-inflammatory drug discovery credited to a black-owned company in United States history. Further testing determined this active component is superior to Arnica, CBD and Diclofenac, the active
ingredient in popular topical pain relievers,” Williams said.
Chronic diseases are the most significant cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health. Global mortality rates in 2019 due to chronic diseases reached a staggering 43.5 million.
