It’s always lovely to know that our scoliosis treatment courses have made a real difference to somebody’s life, whether by helping them to overcome their chronic back pain or simply by giving them a little extra confidence for a special occasion. Anna Smith, who came to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic from Birmingham and completed a 4-week treatment course in 2015, is a great example of the latter type of patient, and today we’d like to share her story with you.

Anna (pictured above) was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 17. “I was diagnosed relatively late,” she says, “and there weren’t really that many treatment options offered to me. I had an X-ray, and it was explained to me that I had scoliosis, but I wasn’t really given much information on what that meant and how that might affect me.”

Over the years following her diagnosis, Anna received some treatment from chiropractors and osteopaths, but these occasional sessions never achieved completely satisfactory results. At the age of 36, Anna got engaged, and as her wedding day drew closer and closer, she decided that it was time to seek a more effective treatment route.

“As the day approached,” remembers Anna, “I found myself getting quite self-conscious about the image of myself standing in front of all the guests with a lovely dress on and my back exposed. And though it isn’t very prominent and most people aren’t aware of it, I personally felt really self-conscious.”

Anna wanted to beat her scoliosis and boost her body confidence in time to walk up the aisle, but this wasn’t her only reason for researching possible treatment options. “I was really hoping for some cosmetic benefits to give me that extra confidence on the day, but as I began to read about scoliosis a bit more, I also became concerned about how things might worsen in the longer term. That was ultimately what prompted me to take this further step.”

And so Anna looked for treatments that would improve her future quality of life as well as getting her the cosmetic results she wanted in time for her big day. Her research led her to Scoliosis SOS and our renowned ScolioGold treatment courses.

Here’s what Anna had to say about the Scoliosis SOS Clinic at the end of her 4-week course:

Anna married her fiancé in December 2015, and we are pleased to report that she did indeed feel happy and confident in her wedding dress!

Click here to view the interview we conducted with Anna at the end of her ScolioGold course, or contact Scoliosis SOS today to find out more about our scoliosis treatment courses and book an initial consultation at our clinic.

Francisco’s scoliosis was first spotted by a physiotherapist he had been seeing after picking up a shoulder injury while playing tennis; he was sent to the hospital for an X-ray, and a week later, Francisco was diagnosed with a spinal curve of 23 degrees. He was fitted with a back brace in the hope that this would arrest the development of his scoliosis, but six months on, Francisco returned for a check-up and was informed that his spinal curve had progressed to 30 degrees.

Here at Scoliosis SOS, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide a specifically tailored treatment plan, which addresses each individual case for the best possible results. For this reason, we have attracted a high number of patients with very specific concerns relating to their physical abilities and quality of life, including many individuals from the dance community.

For those who enjoy various disciplines of dance, being diagnosed with a spinal condition can be prove to be doubly worrying, due to the possible implications that this could have on their physical ability. Whether dance is simply a much-loved hobby, or even a choice of career, the thought of being unable to follow their passion is often more concerning for dancers with scoliosis, than the medical implications associated with a curved spine. As a form of activity which places great emphasis on posture and physical flexibility, the prospect of having these restricted by the condition itself, or by the effects of surgery, can make the period following initial diagnosis a particularly confusing and overwhelming time for dancers. Often, it can seem like a no-win situation, with the prospects of permanent surgery and the progression of the condition, sometimes seeming equally daunting. 

For these reasons, many dancers seek out an effective alternative to the more commonly prescribed scoliosis treatments, in a bid to prevent the progression of their spinal issues, without resorting to surgery. This is what has led many dancers to Scoliosis SOS, where they have managed to find a lasting treatment which places specific emphasis on movement and flexibility, for a result that is liberating, not limiting.

Emily was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 15, after noticing her uneven shoulders in a mirror, and visiting her GP. After receiving an X-ray, Emily was told that she had a Cobb angle of 34 degrees, as well as spinal rotation which caused her pain and restricted breathing. After having the possible impact of surgery explained to her, Emily felt torn, as the physical implications of both her condition and surgery, weighed heavily upon on her mind.

Soon after, Emily was brought to our clinic by her father, and began her 4 week, intensive treatment programme. Following her treatment, Emily not only found that her lung capacity had increased, but that her Cobb angle had fallen to just 12 degrees. This meant she not only gained a huge amount of confidence due to the aesthetic results of her treatment, but also peace-of-mind, as she was able to return to the dance studio!

Like many of the dancers we have treated, Amy Hossain began dancing at a young age, competing in ballroom competitions across Europe. In spite of her talent and determination, her ability to progress as a dancer was soon called into question, after she was diagnosed with scoliosis, and confronted with the possibility of surgery. This was made even worse, when she was told that her Cobb angle had progressed to 40 degrees. 

In a bid to reduce the pain and physical imbalances cause by her condition, Amy began receiving treatment at our clinic, which has allowed her to return to the dancefloor. It has not only led to a reduction in the pain that Amy was experiencing, but has also provided lasting knowledge about her condition, which she has used to maintain the results of her treatment. To find out more about Amy’s story, read her newspaper feature here.

With a passion for breakdancing, Mia performs moves which would be highly challenging for anyone, let alone an individual diagnosed with scoliosis. When she was first diagnosed at the age of 11, she was told, that surgery would be the only option to correct her two 45 degree curves (thoracic & lumbar). The prospect of undergoing major surgery at such a young age was worrying for both Mia herself, and her parents, who began performing online research in the hope of finding an alternative.

For Mia and her family, the possible restrictions and risks of surgery were a daunting and unappealing prospect, which is what brought her to our clinic. With the help of our dedicated therapists, Mia was able to correct and manage the symptoms of her condition without resorting to surgery, and without restricting her desired flexibility.

Living with scoliosis can be an ordeal even in the best circumstances, but managing a spinal curve while simultaneously going through puberty and striving to stay on top of schoolwork is a challenging feat indeed. Unfortunately, since most cases of idiopathic scoliosis develop during adolescence, many young people are forced to learn how to live with scoliosis just as they’re also trying to navigate the general turbulence that tends to accompany one’s teenage years.

Here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic, we’ve helped countless teenagers and pre-teens to manage their scoliosis and achieve a higher quality of life. Today, we’d like to share the story of a young woman from Cardiff named Louiselle, who came to our clinic for treatment around ten years ago. Back then, Louiselle was an intelligent, high-achieving 14-year-old girl who was suffering enormously due to her dramatically curved spine.

Photo of Louiselle by David Hurst (originally published in the Western Mail, 10 September 2007)

Louiselle’s scoliosis first began to assert itself when she was just 9 years old. Unfortunately, doctors misdiagnosed her early symptoms, dismissing her pains as ‘growing pains’ and incorrectly attributing her compromised breathing to asthma. When Louiselle hit puberty, things got even worse: she experienced heavy, painful menstruation and a dramatic reduction in her ability to take part in activities such as swimming and running. She was eventually diagnosed with scoliosis when she visited the doctor for a minor chest infection, but this diagnosis sadly did not signal the end of Louiselle’s suffering.

At the age of 14, Louiselle was admitted to hospital, where an X-ray revealed the true severity of her spinal curve:

Soon afterwards, she was told that the best course of action would be to wait for another 6 months, then go back to the hospital for a surgical procedure that would involve the removal of several ribs and the insertion of metal rods into her spine. This is a terrifying prospect for anyone, let alone a 14-year-old, but Louiselle was not offered any alternative.

As time passed, Lousielle’s severe abdominal pain continued to worsen. She became addicted to painkillers, and was bullied in school for her increasing reliance on medication. To make matters even more desperate, medical professionals often dismissed her symptoms entirely, suggesting that she was simply ‘making a fuss’. At one point, Louiselle was referred to a psychologist in the hope that this would help her to overcome her ‘imaginary’ pain.

And then, one day, a glimmer of light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Louiselle’s mother was watching BBC Breakfast one morning when she witnessed this interview with Erika Maude, founder of the Scoliosis SOS Clinic:

Not long after that, Louiselle and her mum arrived at our clinic, which at the time was located in Suffolk. Lousielle was desperately hoping that our exercise-based treatment would help to relieve her suffering and enable her to live well without the need for surgical intervention; not only was the pain practically unbearable at this point, she was also missing a lot of school time (and just before her GCSEs!) in order to get treated.

Fortunately, this last-ditch attempt to beat scoliosis was not in vain. Here is what Louiselle looked like before and after her 4-week course at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic:

Here’s what Louiselle had to say after completing her scoliosis treatment course:

“Scoliosis SOS were able to explain all my symptoms. They could sympathise with me, and I really felt I was around people who could related to my experiences! After my trip to the Clinic, my legs now feel like they’re the same length. I am walking straighter and taller, and – importantly – I don’t feel like the freak that the surgeons made me feel like before. The way I was seeing myself was that image of a twisted spine: completely wrong.”

One foreign country from which we frequently receive enquiries is Canada, with many Canadian scoliosis sufferers making the transatlantic journey to our London clinic each year. (That’s London, England not London, Ontario!)

If you often read about scoliosis online then you may have come across a blog called Twisted Sister. This blog is written by a woman named Jennifer from Vancouver, and it details her experiences as a scoliosis sufferer and her quest to get treated and overcome the symptoms of her spinal condition.

Jennifer is actually one of the many Canadian people we have treated here at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic. She first came to us in 2013 after reading about us online, and she blogged about her treatment course while she was staying in London (for instance, you can read about her first day at the clinic here).

Last year, Jennifer returned to the Scoliosis SOS Clinic and recorded this short video interview with us:

Canada to England is a long journey, but as we feel Jennifer would testify, it can be a very worthwhile trip indeed. Non-surgical scoliosis treatment remains outside the mainstream in Canada, and finding an effective alternative to surgery within the country’s borders can be difficult.

Our treatment programme, the ScolioGold method, is proven effective; as our research has shown, it can visibly reduce a scoliosis patient’s Cobb angle measurement, as well as providing pain relief and improving flexibility and self-image.

Jessie Bowen, a 23-year-old girl from North Canada, was another scoliosis sufferer who came to us from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. You can read her story in full here, but to demonstrate just how life-changing our treatment courses can be, we’d just like to share a short excerpt from her testimonial now:

If you live in Canada – or anywhere else in the world – and you would like to find out more about the non-surgical scoliosis treatment courses we deliver here in London, please contact us today. We will be happy to answer any questions you have, and we can even conduct a full consultation with you via Skype or telephone call.