Teenager tackles spinal disease

LEANNE MacDonald (15) was a normal teenage girl right up until the age of 14, when she was diagnosed with a severe curve in her spine and told that she needed an operation to save her mobility.

The Knocklyon teenager loved sports and had always dreamed of a career as a PE teacher but the diagnosis shattered her dreams and left her in excruciating pain.

The condition also left her facing major spinal fusion surgery, until she discovered an exercise routine that drastically changed her prognosis.

Leanne had always been very fit and active throughout her life but her mother started to notice that her shoulder blade was protruding on one side.

Leanne had also started getting tired far quicker than normal and was complaining of aches and pains in her back. PE teachers had noticed her lack of energy and were worried that something serious was going on.

In a state of panic, Leanne’s mother made an emergency appointment to see the family GP who immediately gave them a devastating diagnosis. Leanne was told that she had a condition called scoliosis, which means curvature of the spine.

“Scoliosis completely rocked my world,

? says Leanne.

“I have always been so passionate about keeping fit and playing sports, getting up on the pitch and giving absolutely everything to performing but when I started feeling tired and getting pain down my back, it was really hard to stay motivated.

?

When the MacDonald family returned home they decided to do a bit of their own research into the treatment of scoliosis but the more they read, the more alarmed they became. They discovered that scoliosis was a progressive condition and that it needed to be treated as soon as possible to prevent any further damage.

Scoliosis causes the spine to excessively curve sideways and sufferers usually have to wait until the curve becomes so severe, that the only option left is to operate.

But the operation is a risky procedure that involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine, before the spine is fused solid.

When Leanne saw an orthopaedic specialist they were told that Leanne’s curve was one of the worst they had seen and that her only option would be to have a 10 hour operation to fuse the spine from top to bottom.

Leanne’s life fell apart, and in a desperate last attempt to find a miracle, she and her family started to search for alternative treatments. It was around this time that she discovered Scoliosis SOS.

Founded and run by Erika Maude, who has Scoliosis herself, the clinic opened six 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 a combination of internationally renowned non-surgical treatments that have been practiced separately in Europe for several decades.

Leanne and her mother decided to give it a go and the teenager was booked onto a four week treatment course and her whole family were overwhelmed with the results that she achieved.

“I feel like myself again, I really felt like my world had fallen apart and I didn’t know how to cope with all the emotions that were going around in my head,

? she said.

“I just wanted to be able to run around like my friends and be a real team player.

“The exercises I learnt were not too difficult, it was just about staying motivated, but for me just the thought of being normal again was enough and it helped me to push myself and get some amazing results.

“I cannot wait to get back to the specialists at the hospital and show them what I have achieved through the programme. I am also so excited to start wearing normal clothes again and feel confident with who I am!

?

?¢ Details on the Scoliosis SOS Clinic can be found online at www.scoliosissos.com.