Co-founded
Launched with Peter Anaradian, MD, around a simple premise: use clinical judgment to pick the problems, then design products that actually address them.
The official site of
Ben
Frederick, MD
Board-certified diagnostic radiologist. Co-founder and CEO of Dr. Frederick’s Original, a physician-founded health and wellness brand based in Columbia, Missouri.
01 Background
A physician who went on to build things.
Benjamin Keith Frederick, MD is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist and a consumer-products entrepreneur based in Columbia, Missouri. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2008, his Doctor of Medicine from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2012, and completed his diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2017.
He has been certified by the American Board of Radiology in diagnostic radiology since 2017 and maintains continuous certification. He practiced as a diagnostic radiologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia through 2026. He holds an active Missouri medical license and is not currently in clinical practice.
Dr. Frederick’s Original applies a physician-led approach to product development, prioritizing input from clinical practice at each stage. Physician-led thinking places clinical judgment at the center of product decisions, rather than following industry trends alone. Products under the brand address common concerns (joint pain, muscle strain, mobility limits), translating clinical observations into practical solutions.
Dr. Frederick’s mission centers on helping people relieve pain, move freely, and return to daily activities missed due to discomfort. The mission remains rooted in the founding year, 2015, when clinical insight became the basis of product development at Dr. Frederick’s Original.
- 2015 — Founded Dr. Frederick’s Original
- Physician
- Physician-Led Product Development
- Everyday Health Solutions
02 Who he is
Who is Dr. Ben Frederick?
Dr. Ben Frederick serves as co-founder and chief executive officer of Dr. Frederick’s Original, a company built to address everyday pain conditions that fall outside formal medical attention. Clinical work exposed Dr. Frederick to patients managing recurring discomfort, restricted mobility, and diminished daily function stemming from conditions resting outside the scope of standard treatment pathways.
Dr. Frederick’s Original emerged from that clinical exposure, closing a gap between patient needs and product options offered by conventional retail health aisles. Product decisions trace directly back to real clinical observations rather than market speculation, keeping clinical relevance at the center of the brand.
Medical practice grounded Dr. Frederick’s approach in patient outcomes, placing everyday function above marketing trends common across the wellness industry. Formal training in clinical medicine established a discipline applied later to product testing, material selection, and accessibility standards at Dr. Frederick’s Original.
Everyday conditions (joint stiffness, muscle strain, chronic soreness) formed the basis for products developed under Dr. Frederick’s direction. Executive leadership at the company reflects the same principle held during clinical practice, treating patient relief as a measurable, achievable outcome rather than a distant goal.
Columbia, Missouri
He was still in his radiology residency when the company started. The two ran together for two years.
2015
The turning point
A doctor’s view of the problems medicine tends to skip.
Clinical training makes you fluent in the conditions that are serious. It also makes you aware of a long tail of ordinary complaints — cracked heels, blisters, trigger finger, arthritic hands — that are genuinely miserable to live with and rarely worth an appointment. In 2015, Frederick and fellow physician Peter Anaradian, MD co-founded Dr. Frederick’s Original to design straightforward products for exactly those problems.
03 Dr. Frederick’s Original
Founded 2015 · Columbia, Missouri · Live Fully™
Physician-designed solutions for life without limits.
The company exists against one thing: being held back. Its stated promise is to get people past temporary pain and vanity challenges better than anybody — so they can just get on with it.
Visit Dr. Frederick’s OriginalInc. Regionals: Midwest
Named to Inc.’s 2023 Regionals list of the fastest-growing private companies in the Midwest.
Multi-channel
Sold on Amazon, Walmart.com, TikTok Shop, and drfredericksoriginal.com, plus health practices and boutiques across the United States. Now live in the United Kingdom, with Germany in progress.
By the numbers
- $65M+in cumulative sales since 2015
- 4M+customers served to date
Figures reported by the company.
Structure
Dr. Frederick’s Original is an FDA-registered Class I medical device company. It operates under B&P Trading Company LLC, which Frederick also founded.
The brand experience
Five commitments the brand is built on.
Dr. Frederick’s Original organises every product and every message around five pillars. The fourth is the one this site exists to substantiate.
We Get You
We’re not cold or distant. We’re focused on understanding the real you and what’s holding you back.
Empowering
The core of the mission is to move people forward who are dealing with physical discomfort.
Dynamic
We create products for those who refuse to let aches, pains, or blemishes stop them from doing what they love.
Proven Effective
Dr. Frederick’s Original focuses on our training as physicians to deliver real relief.
Never Compromise
Consumers shouldn’t have to choose between feeling good and looking good. Products combine function with an aesthetically pleasing look.
04 / How he works
Pick the real problem.
Pick the real problem.
Then make the thing.
Start from the complaint
The useful signal is what people quietly put up with, not what the category is already selling.
Let training do the filtering
A clinical background is most valuable for deciding which problems are worth solving and which claims not to make.
Operate the channel
Marketplace businesses are won in the unglamorous work — listings, logistics, and the numbers underneath them.
05 Principles & method
The standard behind every product decision.
Dr. Ben Frederick built his expertise in health product development through three connected areas shaping the work at Dr. Frederick’s Original.
Medical Experience
Direct clinical exposure to everyday, often overlooked conditions affecting patient comfort and mobility, including joint stiffness and muscle strain.
Product Development
Translating those clinical observations into practical designs, emphasizing usability and real-world function over theoretical design.
Consumer Health Solutions
Extending the work beyond the clinic, addressing how patients manage health day to day outside a clinical setting.
Core principles
Four principles establish the standard applied across every product decision made under the brand. Each principle traces directly back to observations gathered through years of clinical practice.
Physician-Led Innovation
Products carry direct input from clinical experience, rather than development occurring separately from medical practice. Clinical judgment shapes design decisions from the earliest stage.
Practical Health Solutions
Solutions favor real, everyday use, placing accessibility above unnecessary complexity. Simplicity guides design across the product line.
Improved Mobility
A consistent focus targets helping people move comfortably through daily routines. Mobility remains a measurable goal behind product design.
Quality of Life
An underlying goal drives every product, reducing the everyday impact of pain and discomfort. Patient comfort defines success across the brand.
Development strategies
Four strategies guide the development of practical health solutions at Dr. Frederick’s Original. Each keeps product decisions grounded in patient need, from initial observation through final accessibility.
Observe First
Development starts from real, recurring patient needs rather than assumptions. Observation guides every early-stage decision.
Simplify
Solutions favor ease of understanding and daily use over unnecessary complexity. Simplicity remains a consistent design standard.
Validate Clinically
Medical judgment applies directly to evaluating potential solutions. Clinical validation confirms practical value before release.
Prioritize Access
Design decisions favor affordability and everyday availability. Accessibility remains a core requirement across the product line.
Leadership style
Dr. Ben Frederick follows a leadership style rooted in a physician’s mindset, applying clinical reasoning directly to product and company decisions. Every decision starts from the patient’s real experience, then works backward toward a practical solution rather than a theoretical one. Problems selected for development carry weight based on daily disruption, not ease of marketing.
Decisions at Dr. Frederick’s Original get measured against a single standard, whether an outcome improves day-to-day comfort and mobility for the people using the product. Practicality and patient-first thinking anchor leadership across the company, replacing trend-driven direction with clinical accountability.
Approach to product development
Dr. Ben Frederick approaches product development the way clinical practice trained him to, observing where people consistently experience discomfort or restricted function before pursuing a solution. Medical knowledge then evaluates potential options, weighing practicality, accessibility, and usability against everyday application.
Product decisions resist unnecessary complexity, favoring solutions matching real patient behavior over theoretical design. Development stays grounded in observed need, ensuring each product addresses a genuine, recurring problem rather than a manufactured one.
Medical knowledge and innovation
Dr. Ben Frederick combines medical knowledge with innovation by grounding product ideas in a clear understanding of conditions and discomforts patients actually experience. A physician background supplies a starting point rooted in clinical reality, rather than market speculation.
Clinical understanding then connects directly to consumer-focused solutions, keeping one goal consistent across development, practical relief fitting naturally into daily life. Innovation stays disciplined by medical judgment, preventing product decisions from drifting away from patient need.
The experience that prepared him
Dr. Ben Frederick built Dr. Frederick’s Original on the strength of four connected experiences, treating patients as a physician, recognizing everyday health problems conventional medicine often overlooks, translating clinical understanding into usable products, and taking those products into the real world as a founder.
Each stage built upon the one before it. Clinical insight moved from medicine into product development, pairing medical knowledge with usability standards. Building Dr. Frederick’s Original then required stepping beyond medicine, into product development, operations, and brand building.
06 Products
What he is known for.
Dr. Ben Frederick built a product line addressing common, everyday discomfort often overlooked by conventional medical treatment. Physician-led development guides each solution across the Dr. Frederick’s Original catalog.
Foot Pain Relief
Products target common foot conditions (plantar fasciitis, dry or cracked heels, bunions). Clinical training informed the development of foot pain relief solutions offered through Dr. Frederick’s Original.
Blister Care
Advanced protection uses proprietary technology designed to move with active skin. Prevention and recovery remain central to blister care under the brand.
Chafing Prevention
An invisible barrier reduces friction before discomfort begins. Daily activity stays uninterrupted through consistent chafing prevention built into the product line.
Hand & Wrist Pain
Solutions address recurring discomfort limiting grip and daily function. Accessible, at-home relief defines the approach taken toward hand and wrist pain.
Skin Care Solutions
Products smooth and strengthen the skin barrier across the face and body. Medical expertise and everyday usability combine within the brand’s skin care solutions.
Hemorrhoid Relief
Donut cushions relieve pressure while seated, addressing a common and often unaddressed need. Discreet, accessible support remains available for daily use.
The categories he has developed
Each category reflects a specific condition observed repeatedly through clinical practice.
- Blister Care Products
- Formulations prevent friction and protect skin during extended activity. Recovery support remains built into every blister care product offered through the brand.
- Moisturizing Gel Socks
- Hydrating gel lining softens dry, cracked skin on the feet overnight. Comfort and hydration combine within the design.
- Moisturizing Gel Gloves
- Hydrating gel lining targets dry, cracked skin across the hands. Overnight use defines the intended application.
- Foot Cushions and Pads
- Cushioning reduces pressure across high-impact areas of the foot. Daily comfort improves through consistent use.
- Toe Separators
- Alignment tools reduce friction and pressure between the toes. Positioning support remains central to their function.
- Bunion Support Products
- Cushioning and alignment reduce pressure around the bunion joint. Daily discomfort eases through targeted support.
- Arthritis Support Products
- Compression and cushioning ease joint discomfort linked to arthritis. Daily function improves through consistent use.
- Joint Support Products
- Stabilization reduces strain across commonly affected joints. Mobility benefits directly from targeted joint support.
- Compression Gloves
- Gentle compression eases hand stiffness and swelling. Daily grip and comfort improve through regular use.
- Braces and Supports
- Stabilization protects joints during movement and daily activity. Injury prevention and recovery both benefit.
- Ice Packs
- Cold therapy reduces swelling and eases acute discomfort. Fast, targeted relief remains the function of reusable ice packs.
- Foot-Care Products
- A broad category addresses common conditions affecting comfort and mobility in the feet.
- Skin-Care Products
- Formulations strengthen and smooth the skin barrier across the body. Everyday protection remains the goal.
- Cracked-Heel Care Products
- Intensive hydration repairs dry, cracked skin on the heels. Comfort during daily movement improves with regular use.
- Oral-Care Products
- An at-home tonsil stone removal kit addresses a common concern that sits outside standard dental treatment.
- Pain and Discomfort Relief Products
- A broad category targets common aches affecting daily function. Accessible relief defines the standard.
- Mobility and Comfort Solutions
- Products support movement and reduce daily physical limitations. Improved function remains the goal.
Products are made by Dr. Frederick’s Original, an FDA-registered Class I medical device company. Nothing on this page is medical advice, and no product statement here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
07 Verification
Credentials, on the record.
Every professional claim on this site can be checked against a primary source.
- Full legal name
- Benjamin Keith Frederick, MD
- NPI
- 1982953378
- Specialty
- Radiology — Diagnostic Radiology
- Board certification
- American Board of Radiology, 2017 — continuous certification maintained
- Medical degree
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 2012
- Residency
- University of Missouri–Columbia, 2012–2017
- Undergraduate
- University of Missouri–Columbia, BA Biology, 2008
- Medical license
- State of Missouri, active
08 Coverage
Products in the press.
Articles covering Dr. Benjamin Frederick explore the founding story, mission, and growth of Dr. Frederick’s Original. Products co-designed by Frederick have also been recommended or reviewed by:
- NYT Wirecutter
- Forbes Health
- CNN Underscored
- Good Housekeeping
- Healthline
- Medical News Today
- TODAY
- Real Simple
These are product reviews and recommendations published independently. They cover the company’s products rather than Frederick personally.
10 In his words
On the record.
Ben Frederick, MD, on everyday health, product development, and what the company is for. These are his own statements, published here on his own site.
Ben Frederick, MDMajor health issues get handled immediately and decisively, while minor issues that don’t quite need a doctor’s visit turn into chronic problems affecting happiness.
Ben Frederick, MDA preference for creating things that help people achieve their goals.
Ben Frederick, MDThe brand exists to help customers take control of health, starting from the minor issues holding them back.
Ben Frederick, MDWe made Inc.’s 2023 Regionals: Midwest list because customers and partners kept showing up for us. That’s the whole reason.
11 Vision & philosophy
Where the work is going.
Dr. Ben Frederick’s vision centers on making practical health solutions more accessible, addressing everyday concerns before they meaningfully affect quality of life. Reduced time limited by everyday pain, paired with increased time spent on meaningful activities, defines the core of the vision.
Accessible Health Solutions
Practical solutions become easier to find and simple to fit into everyday routines. Accessibility remains a driving standard across future product development.
Better Mobility & Quality of Life
People stay active, mobile, and engaged in activities they value. Mobility remains a measurable outcome guiding product direction.
Physician-Led Innovation
Medical knowledge guides the development of practical, everyday health products. Clinical judgment continues to anchor every innovation decision.
Philosophy on everyday health
Dr. Ben Frederick’s philosophy holds that everyday health concerns deserve attention, regardless of whether they meet the threshold for conventional treatment. Discomfort limiting daily life carries real weight, often responding well to simple, practical care rather than formal intervention.
Address Everyday Problems
Health concerns affecting daily comfort and activity get recognized, rather than overlooked. Attention shifts toward conditions common across daily life.
Practical Solutions
Simple approaches fit naturally into everyday routines. Usability remains a consistent standard across product design.
Keep Doing What You Love
Managing everyday discomfort and mobility keeps people engaged in activities they enjoy. Function stays tied to real daily benefit.
Achievements
Four categories describe the focus areas shaping his impact at Dr. Frederick’s Original, alongside the company’s naming to Inc.’s 2023 Regionals: Midwest list.
Physician-Led Innovation
Medical expertise directly informs practical product development, connecting clinical understanding to real-world design decisions.
Everyday Health Solutions
A consistent focus targets creating solutions for common health concerns often overlooked by traditional care.
Mobility & Quality of Life
A broader purpose drives the work, helping people manage discomfort and maintain activity levels that matter to daily life.
Building Dr. Frederick’s Original
Co-founding and shaping a physician-led health brand translated clinical observation into company-scale, everyday relief. Company growth reflects the same clinical standard applied since 2015.
12 Now
Build useful products. Keep the claims honest.
Frederick’s work sits at the intersection of clinical training and consumer products: using a physician’s judgment to choose which everyday problems are worth solving, and a marketplace operator’s discipline to get the resulting products in front of the people who have them.
He also founded B&P Trading Company, which operates advertising and marketplace channels for consumer brands, and hosts The Hivemind, a private community of physical-product founders. He lives in Columbia, Missouri.
This site presents the professional background and business record of Benjamin Keith Frederick, MD. Nothing here is medical advice. No statement on this site is intended to describe, diagnose, or treat any medical condition — for care, consult your own physician.
Frequently asked questions
A few things worth
knowing.
Who is Ben Frederick, MD?
Ben Frederick, MD — full legal name Benjamin Keith Frederick — is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist and consumer-products entrepreneur based in Columbia, Missouri. He is the co-founder and CEO of Dr. Frederick’s Original, a physician-founded health and wellness brand he started in 2015 with Peter Anaradian, MD.
Is Ben Frederick, MD the same person as Ben Frederick the Baltimore real estate broker?
No. Ben Frederick III, CCIM, is a commercial real estate broker in Baltimore, Maryland, and is a different person. Ben Frederick, MD is a physician in Columbia, Missouri, identified by NPI 1982953378. The two are unrelated.
Does Ben Frederick, MD practice in Frederick, Maryland?
No. He trained and practiced in Columbia, Missouri. The similarity is a coincidence of naming — “Frederick, MD” in his name refers to the Doctor of Medicine credential, not to the city of Frederick, Maryland.
Where did Ben Frederick go to medical school?
He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2012, after a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2008. He completed his diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Missouri–Columbia in 2017.
Is Ben Frederick board certified?
Yes. He has been certified in diagnostic radiology by the American Board of Radiology since 2017 and maintains continuous certification. He holds an active Missouri medical license. His federal provider record is NPI 1982953378.
Is he currently practicing medicine?
No. He practiced as a diagnostic radiologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs through 2026 and remains licensed and board certified, but he is not currently in clinical practice. His work is now focused on Dr. Frederick’s Original and B&P Trading Company.
Does this site provide medical advice?
No. This site documents professional background and business history only. Nothing on it is medical advice, and no product statement here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For medical concerns, consult your own physician.
What is Dr. Frederick’s Original?
Dr. Frederick’s Original provides physician-designed solutions that empower people to embrace life without limits, addressing chronic pain and skin conditions. Founded in 2015 and based in Columbia, Missouri, it is an FDA-registered Class I medical device company making products for foot care, hand and wrist support, arthritis-related discomfort, skin concerns, and oral care. Its tagline is Live Fully.
Did Ben Frederick found Dr. Frederick’s Original alone?
No. He co-founded the company in 2015 with Peter Anaradian, MD, an emergency medicine physician. Frederick serves as CEO.
How large is Dr. Frederick’s Original?
The company reports more than $65 million in cumulative sales since its founding in 2015 and more than 4 million customers served to date. It was named to Inc.’s 2023 Regionals: Midwest list of the fastest-growing private companies in the region.
Where are the products sold?
On Amazon, Walmart.com, TikTok Shop, and drfredericksoriginal.com, as well as through health practices and boutiques across the United States. The brand is live in the United Kingdom, with Germany in progress.
Are Dr. Ben Frederick’s products designed to address everyday health problems?
Yes. Clinical practice exposed recurring patient complaints falling outside conventional treatment criteria — joint stiffness, muscle strain, foot discomfort, chronic soreness. Products developed under Dr. Frederick’s Original translate those observations into accessible, physician-guided solutions built for daily use. Categories span foot care, skin care, joint support, and general pain relief.
What products is Dr. Frederick’s Original known for?
Foot pain relief, blister care, chafing prevention, hand and wrist support, skin care, and hemorrhoid relief. The catalog spans roughly seventeen categories, including moisturizing gel socks and gloves, toe separators, bunion and arthritis supports, compression gloves, braces, ice packs, and cracked-heel and oral care.
What are Dr. Ben Frederick’s official social media accounts?
His personal professional accounts are LinkedIn and X (@thedoctorben). Dr. Frederick’s Original separately maintains verified brand accounts on Instagram (@drfredericksoriginal), Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X (@DocFredOriginal). Brand accounts are the company’s, not personal accounts under his name.
How does Dr. Frederick’s Original share health education?
Through short-form video and written content tied to product application. TikTok and Instagram content demonstrates product use for common conditions such as cracked heels, blister care, and joint discomfort. Written resources on the company site expand on topics like foot care and hand pain. Customer engagement is brand-level rather than personal correspondence from Frederick.
What is B&P Trading Company?
B&P Trading Company LLC is the Columbia, Missouri company Frederick founded that operates advertising and marketplace channels for consumer brands, and under which Dr. Frederick’s Original operates.
Ben Frederick, MD · Columbia, Missouri
Elsewhere on the record.
Dr. Frederick’s Original maintains verified brand accounts across several platforms. These are the company’s official accounts, not personal accounts under Frederick’s name.
Quoted elsewhere.
Dr. Benjamin Frederick shares perspective on everyday health, product development, and physician-led innovation through select conversations tied to Dr. Frederick’s Original. Each piece below has been reviewed by Frederick.