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An advert claiming that a special patch can help to heal arthritis, back pain, sciatica and fibromyalgia has been banned by the advertising watchdog.
The advert for Lifes2Good’s Pain Ease Patch, which was endorsed by former tennis star Virginia Wade, could discourage readers from seeking essential treatment for a serious condition, the Advertising Standards Authority said.
The authority also ruled that evidence that the patch accelerated healing was “not sufficiently robust”.
In the newspaper advert Wade was quoted as saying: “I find that anti-inflammatory drugs work to a certain extent but not permanently, and I don’t like to take too many. This patch is so gentle that I can’t even feel it, yet the relief from pain and swelling is astounding.”
When asked for evidence, Lifes2good UK Ltd provided the summaries of five studies on patients.
But the ASA concluded: “The ASA noted Lifes2good had supplied summaries of the trials only and also that some of the trials did not seem to be controlled or blinded.
“We also noted Lifes2good had not provided full information on how the tests were carried out or how the extrapolated results were achieved.
Copyright Press Association 2009
Advertising Standards Authority
