I'm not an inuit but I think it isn't. There are two ways of creating distortion with the voice, with two different organs : with the fry ( like inuits but also fry screams in hardcore music ) and the false chords ( used in Tuvan throat overtone singing and also in extreme metal). So If performed correctly it shouldn't be painful cause the distortion isn't created by squeezing the throat, but by using those organs. Once again, I am not an inuit, but I can do similar sounds with the fry and it feels rather satisfying.
