Horse rider jumps back in the saddle after spinal scare

Dublin People 03 Oct 2015
She now hopes to get back to horse riding that she loves.

A 17-year-old Dublin girl has told how her life is back on track after a debilitating spinal condition almost ruined her dreams.

Carly Little, from Herbert Street in the city centre, 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.

Carly was passionate about horses and had always loved spending her time riding, however, 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 which has drastically changed her prognosis.

Carly had always been very fit and active throughout her life and she was passionate about horses, but she started getting tired far quicker than normal and was complaining of aches and pains in her back. Riding teachers had noticed her lack of energy and were worried that something serious was going on. 

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

Carly said: “Horses have always been everything to me but posture and being able to hold yourself properly is so important. If you cannot sit straight on a horse there is no way you could ever compete and there is no way I would ever be recognised in the professional sense. I felt like all my opportunities and all the possibilities of the future had been torn away from me. I was desperate and confused and I just wanted some direction.”

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. 

The diagnosis hit Carly exceptionally hard. She did not know what was happening and was worried that she would have to give up her hobbies because of her deformity.  

When Carly received a referral and saw the orthopaedic specialist the family was told that her only option would be to have a 10-hour operation to fuse the spine from top to bottom. 

In a desperate last attempt to find a miracle, Carly and her family started to search the Internet 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 over nine years ago and has since brought relief to hundreds of sufferers.

Carly was booked onto a treatment course and her whole family were overwhelmed with the results that she achieved.  

Carly said: “I was totally traumatised when I was diagnosed with scoliosis. It felt like my whole world was crashing down around me.

“But the exercises have given me hope again. I feel so much better about my appearance and my future and I am getting my confidence on a horse back again. For a while I wanted to avoid riding all together but I’m determined to get my life back on track.”

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