Professional Golfers Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, JJ Henry, Peter Jacobsen and Mark O'Meara Offer Keys to Success - On and Off the Course

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers can learn a lot more from professional golfers than a powerful swing or an accurate chip shot. These athletes are not only role models in their sport, but they can also offer advice on how they deal with everyday aches and pains - both on and off the course.

In fact, five professional golfers report that in order to perform at their best, they seek relief immediately at the onset of pain. This contrasts with the results of a new survey that shows two-thirds (66 percent) of pain sufferers wait to treat their pain, and more than half who wait (54 percent) delay treatment for six hours or more. In addition, nearly half (42 percent) of pain sufferers surveyed said that they are most likely to postpone seeking pain relief hoping the pain will subside on its own.

TSC, a division of Yankelovich, conducted the survey, which polled 1,107 pain sufferers nationwide from July 13-16, 2007. The survey findings were then compared to the personal experiences of five PGA TOUR players: Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, JJ Henry, Peter Jacobsen and Mark O'Meara.

These professional golfers are teaming up with ALEVE(R) to educate consumers by sharing their personal experiences with pain, and the tips and tools that help them stay at the top of their game. ALEVE is the Official Pain Reliever of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour.

"Golf is such an individual sport that it's a pleasure to join with some of the best golfers on the TOUR today and share our experiences with consumers," said Henry, a seven-year TOUR veteran, who is playing at The Barclays this week. "In our time off the course, we're really just like everyone else and I hope that consumers can look to me and the other members of Team ALEVE to understand why it's important to treat pain promptly in order to stay in the game."

The survey also found that pain sufferers enjoy activities like working in the yard/around the house (75 percent), walking/hiking (72 percent) and exercising/working out (54 percent) - but even these seemingly pleasurable pastimes can cause pain. For example, 62 percent of those surveyed report having pain when working in the yard/around the house, followed by exercising/working out (54 percent) and walking/hiking (45 percent). In addition, nearly half (49 percent) of those polled find that they are unable to enjoy their free time or focus on specific tasks when they are in pain. Overall, the most prevalent area for pain was the back (76 percent), followed by knees (55 percent) and shoulders (49 percent).

"Although few of us can consider ourselves to be professional athletes, this survey shows that consumers can learn a lesson in pain relief from the professional golfers on Team ALEVE," said Jay Kolpon, vice president, Marketing and New Business Development, Bayer Consumer Care. "We know that anyone looking for fast pain relief that helps them get back in the game can find it in ALEVE and ALEVE Liquid Gels."

To find out what else Team ALEVE players have in common with their fans when it comes to pain, pain relief and even hobbies, consumers can log on to http://www.alevegolf.com/ and complete an online assessment tool.

About ALEVE and ALEVE Liquid Gels

Since its introduction as an OTC product in June 1994, ALEVE has been used by millions of Americans as a safe and effective pain reliever for more than a decade. ALEVE Liquid Gels, launched in March 2007, were developed to provide liquid-fast relief. With the convenience of all day relief with just two pills, ALEVE and ALEVE Liquid Gels can be used for the treatment of aches and pains due to minor arthritis pain, muscle aches, backache, headache, toothache, menstrual pain and pain associated with the common cold. Always read and follow label instructions.

ALEVE and ALEVE Liquid Gels are available at food, drug and mass retail outlets nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.aleve.com/.

About Bayer Consumer Care

The Consumer Care Division of Bayer HealthCare LLC is headquartered in Morristown, N.J. Bayer's Consumer Care Division is among the largest marketers of over-the-counter medications and nutritional supplements in the world. Some of the most trusted and recognizable brands in the world today come from the Bayer portfolio of products. These include Bayer(R) Aspirin, ALEVE(R), Alka-Seltzer Plus(R), Bactine(R), RID(R), Phillips'(R) Milk of Magnesia, Midol(R), Alka-Seltzer(R), One-A-Day(R) multivitamins and Flintstones(TM) vitamins.

Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry based in Leverkusen, Germany. In 2005, the Bayer HealthCare subgroup generated sales amounting to some 9.4 billion Euro. Bayer HealthCare employed 33,800 people worldwide in 2005. The company combines the global activities of the division's Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals. Since January 1, 2006 the new Pharmaceutical Division consists of the former Biological Products and Pharmaceutical Division and now comprises three business units: Hematology/Cardiology, Oncology and Primary Care. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. The products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating diseases.

About the Survey

This survey was conducted by The Segmentation Company, a division of Yankelovich. These results are based on a telephone survey conducted between July 13 and July 16, 2007, among a sample of 1,107 Americans age 18 and older who reported experiencing back, body or joint pain in the past 12 months. For results based on the total sample, the margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. For results based on smaller sub samples, the margin of error is larger.