Dancer back on track following scoliosis treatment

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD SOPHIE O’Hanlon had always been very fit and active throughout her life and had been passionate about dance right from a very young age.

The Ashbourne teen loved being the centre of attention and had always dreamed of a career as a professional dancer. This was until she reached her late teens and was diagnosed with scoliosis after suffering from several months of extreme pain.

Scoliosis causes the spine to excessively curve sideways. The condition affects more than four per cent of the population and if left untreated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.

Current treatment in this country is to wait until the curve becomes so severe, that the only option left is to operate. The major operation is an incredibly risky procedure, which involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine, before the spine is fused solid.

The diagnosis left the family in pieces. Sophie wanted to study dance at university and had been told that the likelihood would be that she would need to give up her ideal course and start looking into an alternative career. She was told that although she may never be a professional dancer, it might be possible for her to teach dance.

For Sophie this just rubbed salt into her wounds. The idea of having to teach her passion and see other young girls compete and succeed, when all she could do was watch was soul destroying.

Sophie was left in an impossible position, she knew that if she did not have surgery her pain would get worse and she would eventually have to give up dance. She also knew that if she chose to have the surgery she would lose the majority of her flexibility and that dancing would never be the same for her again.

Luckily for Sophie, it was around this time that she discovered Scoliosis (SOS), an alternative treatment that could reduce her back pain and help her avoid surgery. It seemed like it was the answer to all her prayers.

Founded and run by Erika Maude, who has Scoliosis herself, the clinic opened seven years ago and has since brought relief to hundreds of sufferers. Located in central London, it is the only clinic in the world to offer treatment following the ScolioGold method, which is the combination of internationally renowned non-surgical treatments, which have been practiced separately in Europe for several decades.

Sophie and her family decided that this treatment could not do any harm and that if it worked it could completely change her life.

Sophie booked a four-week treatment course and was overwhelmed by the results she achieved.

Within weeks of being on the course, Sophie’s condition dramatically improved. She was no longer getting short of breath when doing exercise and her bubbly, confident personality had returned.

Sophie had made some great friends and understood why it was so important to exercise and keep her curve under control. She had seen how severe some of the other patients’ curves were and she had also met a patient who had had her spine fused solid. This made her more determined than ever to work hard and get her scoliosis under control.

Sophie learnt a set of exercises that strengthened the muscles surrounding her spine and meant that her scoliosis stabilised. She also made huge improvements to her cosmetic appearance and learnt that her condition would not ruin her life if she kept up the exercises.

Sophie felt a massive sense of relief that she was not going to need to have surgery. She knew that the recovery following surgery would be long and painful and that she would probably have to give up dancing altogether. She also knew that having found an alternative exercise programme, it was definitely worth the hours she spent searching the internet.

Since completing a course of ScolioGold treatment, Sophie has returned home and has been able to get back to dancing properly for the first time in months. She has regained all of her confidence and has bounced back to her normal sociable self.

“I feel amazing,

? Sophie tells Northside People. I can dance properly again for the first time in months and I am so excited to be back on track with everything. I really do feel like a new person. I feel like I have a new back.

?

Sophie says she now has so much more energy.

“I don’t feel exhausted all the time and I feel like I have my life back,

? she adds.

For more information on the programme, visit www.scoliosisSOS.com