Smallholder farmer Carol Davies, from Kinross, has spent most of her 63 years being a very active, outdoors person – horseriding, squash and cycling – were some of her hobbies. Even after a riding accident in childhood, which introduced some back problems, she continued being healthy and active, eventually taking on the hard physical work that a flock of Suffolk sheep bring.

“I always had back pain, I remember having it in the 1970s and, of course, I went along to the doctors and was prescribed the usual painkillers, but it was becoming more of a problem as I got older, and I realised I had to do something about it,” she says.

“My GP eventually sent me to a specialist, who diagnosed scoliosis (which is a curvature of the spine) and the suggestion was that I would need an operation which would involve a rod being placed into my spine to try to straighten it, plus the operation involved a lot of risks.

“Obviously, I didn’t relish the idea of that, so the specialist suggested we just leave it and I stay healthy and come back at a later date,” adds Carol.

“I eventually did go back to the GP when I was 59 and by then I was told that I was too old, they were only treating younger patients. I was furious and I also knew that if I didn’t get something done, I would have to give up my sheep and my active lifestyle, as it was becoming quite debilitating,” she adds.

“I had tried other complementary therapies, osteopaths, physios. Often, the physiotherapists just didn’t know quite want to do with me and, even though the condition in its most serious form affects around 4% of the population, they weren’t trained sufficiently to deal with something this specific.

“By chance, my son had been watching breakfast TV and had seen a segment on Scoliosis SOS, a centre in Woodbridge in Suffolk, which deals with this condition specifically and non surgically. I called them right away and organised to go down for an assessment,” says Carol.

She went to the centre and was taken for scans and a thorough assessment of her back. The outcome of this was enough to give the specially trained physios the information they needed to give her the intense exercise regime necessary to help lengthen and de-rotate her spine.

For her treatment, Carol stayed near the centre for four weeks, going five days a week for a gruelling six-hour training session each day.

“It was really hard work and some of the patients didn’t finish the course, but it was totally worth it for me. The physios were brilliant and educated the patients about the spine and the forces that work against it.

“We did the exercises in a group of around six people. There were even children being treated, although we all had our own individual exercises to do, and I was glad of the cameraderie, we all really needed to support each other, as it took some willpower to get through it,” she says.

Now Carol has almost 100% mobility back, she walks up straight again, and can now do all the sports that she loved before.

Her doctor had told her to give up squash and horseriding, but the Scoliosis Centre has said that there should be no reason that she can’t go back to her beloved horse riding.

So she has done just that. And, if she continues to do her half hour of exercises each day – which she does religiously – she can expect to have lots of fun on the new mountain bike that she has just bought.

“Personally, this has been an amazing recovery and I would recommend it to anyone with the condition. We are just about to plant four acres of trees, so I am sure the amount of bending needed for that will test my back to the limit – but I am sure I am now up to it,” adds a relieved Carol.

What is scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine which exceeds 10º, which is deemed the ‘normal’ amount of curve. A staggering one in three women suffer from it.

However, many may never know that they have it, as the curve will be small enough that no pain is felt. If the curvature exceeds 20º, then the surrounding muscles will be pulled into an unnatural position, resulting in pain as they try to compensate for the curvature.

Kyphois, is the forward curvature of the spine (often seen in the elderly) and the clinic also deals with this condition.

After diagnosis, living with it, or surgery is often the only option given, which requires rods to be inserted into the spine to correct the curvature, and also a fusing of the spine which limits, or stops, any ability to bend. The surgery doesn’t take the pain away, as the muscles are still in an unnatural position as the spine is not naturally straight either.

Patients who attend Scoliosis SOS often come to them as a last ditch attempt to avoid surgery, and Kylie Hobson of the clinic says that if that patients are willing to put in the effort while doing their exercise regime, which is tough, then amazing results are achievable.

Kyle Hobson says: “I would say that more than nine out of 10 of our clients leave the clinic with a huge improvement in their pain levels. They have only one half hour of exercises to do each day at home as maintenance. We do ask that they come back and see us at six monthly intervals for one day, so that we can have a look at their improvement and adjust their exercises to suit their progress.”

The courses run are two sets of two weeks, which helps if anyone has to fit it into annual leave. At the moment the clinic is still a privately run clinic, and the costs for the course is just over £2000, they are currently doing research to prove to the NHS the results that can be achieved in the hope that doctors will be able to refer patients through the NHS to them in the future.

Children often suffer from scoliosis, as it seems to show itself during puberty, as the body develops, and the clinic has clients as young as six years old, who have managed to do the course and avoid going under the knife.

Tel: 01394 389670 www.scoliosissos.com