FOR ten years, Nick Banforth lived in agony, plagued by a condition that affects one in six Brits.

The dad of two was on a cocktail of painkillers, but they failed to keep his excruciating, “stabbing pains” at bay. He was terrified that at just 55 his 27-year career as a plasterer might be over, until someone offered him a lifeline.

Nick, a construction worker, stands smiling in front of a red van, holding a trowel.Nick Banforth feared he would have to give up his career as a plasterer due to worsening arthritis in his elbow NINTCHDBPICT001100449649Pictured with his wife Gail, Nick was worried he’d have to quit his job as a plasterer due to worsening symptoms of his arthritis Credit: Nick Banforth

Nick, who has two sons, Brad, 23, and Dan, 20, with his wife, Gail, 50, an office administrator, first experienced pain in his right elbow in 2011.

“I noticed a calcium growth appearing on my elbow, which I was concerned about and also was starting to get mild pain,” Nick tells .

A calcium growth, also known as a bone spur, can develop on the edges of joints.

“I went to the doctors and an X-ray confirmed that there was mild arthritis going on in my elbow.”

More than 10 million adults, young people and children in the UK live with arthritis, according to Arthritis UK , with around 1,200 people diagnosed each day.

The condition causes pain, swelling and stiffness in one or more joints and it can make moving affected joints difficult.

You can get arthritis in any joint, but it commonly affects people’s wrists, hands, fingers, ankles, feet, back and spine, knees and hips.

Common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

The age at which people develop arthritis is entirely dependent on what type they have.

Osteoarthritis – the most common form – typically starts in the late 40s but it can come on between 30 and 60.

Similarly, rheumatoid arthritis often gets diagnosed between 40 to 60.

Nick says: “I started taking and paracetamol when it reared its head, once a week, usually on a Friday when I’d really given it some hammer throughout the week.

“The pain steadily started getting worse, in particular when I was plastering ceilings and my arm was above my head.

“It would also hurt when I plastered large walls.”

Nick describes the pain like “stabbing” in his elbow, and “burning” which would spread down his arm.

“My grip started to become affected and my arm would often seize up,” he says.

NINTCHDBPICT001100449655Nick tried various painkillers over 10 years until surgery became discussed Credit: Nick Banforth NINTCHDBPICT001100449654Nick first experienced pain in his elbow in 2011 and noticed a calcium growth, also known as a bone spur, which concerned him Credit: Nick Banforth

Over the next 10 years, Nick’s pain steadily worsened and became more frequent.

“It would kick in when I was carrying heavy things, gripping the plaster trowel, making scraping movements or doing Artex removal above my head,” he explains.

“I was having to stop regularly while I was doing the work.

“I’d have to swap arms and use my non-dominant left hand to scrape while my right hand just guided the scraper,” says Nick.

The pain became so unbearable that Nick made plans to change .

“I’d got to the top of my trade after 27 years,” he says.

“To even think about giving that up was hard to accept.

“I genuinely thought it was all going to be taken away from me.

“I looked into becoming a surveyor for damp preservation work and did a two day training course and passed.

“My hand was being forced at that point.

“I remember thinking, ‘This isn’t normal anymore’.

“It wasn’t just a bad day here and there – it was constant. Everything I did seemed to set it off.”

Nick relied on ibuprofen and , but also tried a Cold One Compression Wrap.

It offered temporary relief before the pain came hurtling back in the early hours of the morning.

He says: “I was waking up at about 2am with pain and then I started to ruminate.

“I had a lot of at that point.

“I was thinking, ‘How am I going to get through the following day? I’m going to be exhausted. Am I going to be able to carry out my tasks in time? Am I going to continue getting any work? Am I going to be able to feed my family?’

“Even putting clothes on was painful and when I was driving, I was having to drive with my right arm by the side of me and with my left hand.

“My mood was rock bottom.”

In 2021, Nick was plastering a large country house and was struggling to even pick up a cup of .

He says: “I contacted the doctor again. I told him I was in real pain and I was worried about my career.

“An X-ray showed other bone growth in my elbow, consistent with arthritis.

“My doctor referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon, but the referral took about six months.”

An operation would mean time off work, potentially for months, and an elbow replacement restricts heavy lifting to just 5lbs.

As Nick worried about his future while waiting for his referral, his friend – also in construction – suggested a solution, Modern Herbals Syno-Vital Hyaluronan sachets (30 for £30.99, Holland & Barrett ).

The supplement contains pure hyaluronic acid (HA), a substance naturally found in synovial fluid, which is the thick liquid that lubricates joints.

NINTCHDBPICT001100449542Nick’s life changed when he started taking this supplement after his friend recommended it to him Credit: Modern Herbals

What to know about arthritis...

Arthritis is a condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in one or more joints. It can make moving the affected joints difficult.

There are lots of different types of arthritis. Common ones include:

  • Osteoarthritis – often affects weight-bearing joints, such as the knees and feet. The most common type of arthritis and usually starts in the late 40s.
  • Gout – often affects the big toe joint, which can be painful, swollen and hot. Your chances of getting gout increase as you get older.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – usually first felt in the small joints in your hands and feet. Often diagnosed between the ages of 40 to 60.
  • Ankylosing spondylitis – often causes lower back pain and stiffness that lasts longer than common backache. Usually begins under the age of 40.
  • Psoriatic arthritis – as well as joint pain, swelling and stiffness, you may also have a red, scaly rash called psoriasis.
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) – affects children under the age of 16. There are several types of JIA with some types milder than others.

You can get arthritis in any joint, but joints commonly affected include those in your:

  • Wrists, hands and fingers
  • Ankles, feet and toes
  • Back and spine
  • Knees and hips

Your symptoms may sometimes suddenly get worse. This is known as a “flare-up” and can last several days.

Source: NHS

HA can bind up to 1,000 times its weight in water, to maintain hydration and help joints move smoothly.

With age, the body naturally produces less .

“My friend explained that it more or less puts fluid back into your body,” says Nick.

“So you’ve got to drink lots of water with it and stop drinking .

“I thought, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose’.”

Nick started taking the supplement in 2021 and says, “within about four weeks, I started to get my mobility back again”.

He adds: “It was absolutely life-changing for me.”

Nick went to his orthopaedic referral and after assessment, it was deemed his elbow was “strong”, and surgery was not necessary.

“I told him about the Syno-Vital Hyaluronan sachets and he basically laughed me out of the room,” says Nick.

“He said there is no evidence to suggest that it actually works, but if it’s working for me, to continue doing what I’m doing.”

Nick has been taking a sachet of Syno-Vital Hyaluronan religiously every morning for five years now.

And he is still plastering.

“Because of no pain and probably reducing my caffeine intake, I a lot better, too,” he says.

“I’m a believer and the supplement has been good for me.

“I’ve mentioned it to a lot of other people and they’re trying it and noticing a significant improvement in their pain and mobility.”

For Nick, life has never been better.

“It’s absolutely incredible. I’ve got mobility back, my joint is now lubricated, I don’t have any pain while I do my work. 


“I work as hard as anybody else and I’m not phased by thinking that I have to do a huge ceiling or a huge wall.

“I’m happy again.”

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS

Dr Mayoni Gooneratne, functional medicine director at Personalised Health Clinics , says: “The ingredient list of the Modern Herbals Syno-Vital Hyaluronan sachets is small, and the most active ingredient is sodium hyaluronate, a form of hyaluronic acid.

“The other ingredients are salts and preservatives.

“This can offer some benefit, but its effects are generally modest.

“Unlike injections, which help to reduce pain and inflammation, Syno-Vital Hyaluronan sachets don’t directly benefit the joint’s lubricating fluid.

“Instead, the ingredients are broken down in the gut and absorbed in smaller components, which may exert mild anti-inflammatory and joint-supporting effects through systemic pathways.

“This is why it’s hard to evaluate this product based on the doses seen in this supplement.

“Overall, I’d say that it may be a helpful adjunct, but the effects of exercise and broader anti-inflammatory strategies such as dietary changes are also important, and it’s unlikely to provide significant relief on its own.”