It really is ace! (Vitabiotics Jointace Gel)

Member Name: crazyminx

Product:	Vitabiotics Jointace Gel
Date:	29/06/09 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to use, makes a big difference without needing to take tablets

Disadvantages: Expensive

INTRODUCTION

For the last couple of years I have been suffering with ME, or Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome. Whilst this has many symptoms, one of the most annoying and painful is muscle aches. I get these particularly badly in my knees, ankles and hands. Recently I had been using the internet a lot, and the constant typing and mouse clicking had aggravated the pains in my hands, leaving my hands constantly aching, tingling and even throbbing, especially at night. I looked around for something to help and stumbled upon Jointace Gel.

WHAT IS JOINTACE GEL?

Jointace Gel is an 'aromatic massage gel with glucosamine, chondroitin and aroma-active essential oils'. The combination of these ingredients is supposed to provide relief for muscle pain and help you 'maintain supple and flexible joints'.

HOW DO I USE IT?

Directions for the gel are very simple: the box tells you to massage it directly into joints and muscles as and when required. For best results the box says that you should use it between 2 and 3 times every day, though I tend to use it only once a day so as not to get through too much of it, and it still makes a substantial difference.

PACKAGING

The gel comes in a 75 ml tube which is nicely coloured in metallic silver and blue, with a blue plastic flip top. The tube is easy to squeeze and to get the gel out of, though extracting the final doses can be tricky and if you have weak hand muscles you may need someone to help you get the last bits out. The tube comes in a cardboard box which also includes a leaflet with information about other products in the Jointace range.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK, FEEL AND SMELL LIKE?

The gel is an orange colour, though it is quite a dull colour and not a scarily bright, synthetic looking shade.

The gel has a thick, slightly gooey and squidgy consistency. It is easy to rub into your joints and absorbs reasonably easily, although it does leave some residue on the skin even after massaging, which lasts for around half an hour in my experience. This isn't a problem if you're not doing anything with your hands, though it may annoy you if you had to something like tend to a baby afterwards.

The smell of the gel is really strong. The essential oils that it contains consist of ginger, eucalyptus, clove, citrus, lavender, menthol and fennel. The ones that smell the strongest to me are ginger, citrus and menthol. The scent not only lingers on your hands for a few hours but will fill a small room and not disperse for many hours. I actually like the smell, but if you are sharing a room with a partner who is not so keen then the strong aroma may be a disadvantage to you.

DOES IT WORK?

I noticed a difference within two days of starting to use this gel. Within that short amount of time the tingling in my hands vanished and now only comes back very occasionally. The throbbing also diminished, as did the aching. My hands are still a little painful but the gel has definitely reduced how much they hurt. I imagine if I used the gel three times a day as recommended, the pain might go away completely, but unfortunately the price of the gel is too high for me to do this. It's also too expensive for me to use it on my knees and ankles as I would like to do, although occasionally if I've really been suffering I have applied it to those places and it has provided a little temporary relief.

PRICE

The gel costs around £9 to buy from a pharmacist or supermarket. I have seen it for as little as £7.94 online, but then you would need to pay postage on top. Using this gel just once a day on my hands, a tube lasts me around two months. If I used it on my hands, ankles and knees three times a day, I'd probably need a tube a week, which would work out at £468 a year! Therefore I really wish they'd reduce the price a little so that I could use this excellent product as much as I'd like.

I would recommend this gel to anyone suffering with joint pain, but be aware that it is annoyingly pricey.

Summary: I just wish it was a bit cheaper!