Rugby star Brad Barritt: "Miracle arthritis gel helped me play for England"

Brad Barritt, 27, returned to the team for the Six Nations championship after using Flexiseq, a treatment developed to ease the crippling pain associated with arthritis.

Now “six or seven” players at his London club, Saracens, including Namibia international Jaques Burger, are using the gel as a way of easing joint pain during training or matches.

Barritt, who has also been selected for the British Lions squad, said: “I initially started to use it post-operation on my left foot. It was a great way to get the flexibility and range of movement back into the joint.

“Rugby being the contact sport it is, it does have a high impact on your joints. Being able to use Flexiseq on your fingers, on your knees, your ankles… hopefully will help you to perform to your capacity.”

He first heard about Flexiseq when his grandfather, who has “troublesome knees”, called from South Africa to ask if it was available in the UK and if some could be sent to him.

At the time, Flexiseq had been offered to the club’s medical team to test by John Mayo, a Saracens supporter and chief executive of manufacturer, Pro Bono Bio. The gel was launched in UK pharmacies last December after six clinical studies involving 4,000 patients found it helped mobility and eased pain in osteoarthritis sufferers.

The gel, which costs about £18 per tube, was found to create a natural lubricant for joints and was as good for pain relief as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as iboprufen.  Unlike them, however, it does not contain drugs — avoiding the risk of side-effects such as heart problems or stroke. The water-based gel is made up of millions of droplets of fat called phospholipids, which travel through the skin and tissue, penetrating the joint and coating the cartilage with a layer of protective lubricant.

Liam O’Toole, chief executive of Arthritis Research UK, said: “We have had positive responses from people buying Flexiseq through our online shop. While we look forward to seeing further clinical research, we are interested to hear that some health professionals in elite sports are also reporting benefits.”

Article source: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/dec/29/rugby-union-premiership-roundup-harlequins-saracens

Rugby star Brad Barritt: "Miracle arthritis gel helped me play for England"