Hinckley Times, Thursday 7^th July 2011

Emma aims to be sports coach

AFTER nearly a decade of living with a life-threatening condition, Emma Fielder is now on the road to recovery and following her dream of becoming a badminton coach.

The 19-year-old from Hinckley was told that she had scoliosis at the age of just 10, and was repeatedly told that her only option was to have metal rods fitted down her back and her spine fused solid. The condition sees sufferers’ spine curve excessively sideways, and if left untreated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.

She said: “When I was first told that I had scoliosis my whole world fell down around me. I lost so much of my confidence and I thought my only option was to undergo major spinal fusion surgery.”

But despite being told that she could end up in a wheelchair Emma, from Stanley Road, decided against surgery. As the years passed the pain grew continually worse and by the time she reached 19, Emma was in daily agony, wore baggy clothes to hide her asymmetrical appearance, and struggled to play her beloved badminton for prolonged periods, as her spine had begun to compress her lungs.

Emma playing badminton

It was at this point that Emma’s mother, Sarah, had decided enough was enough and, after much research online, found the Scoliosis SOS clinic in London. Despite being told once again that surgery was the only viable option, Sarah booked her daughter in for an intensive course of specialised therapy.

After four weeks of treatment using the ScolioGold method – a combination of internationally renowned non-surgical treatments – Emma’s condition had stabilised and her posture, pain, physical appearance and lung capacity had all significantly improved.

She said: “I can remember thinking that I just wanted the nightmare to be over. I suffered for years in silence until my mum found the SOS clinic. I didn’t even stop to think that it might not work, I just saw it as my ticket out of having surgery. I loved sports and the idea of having to stop playing, was soul destroying.

“When I completed the course and I was told that my condition had stabilised, it was a huge relief. My back now looks a million times better and I feel like I am so much stronger.

“I will always be so grateful to the SOS team – they are one very special group of people.”

The Press and Journal     www.pressandjournal.co.uk

LOCAL NEWS SINCE 11747                              Monday, August 1 2011

Exercise cure saves teen dangerous spinal surgery By MEL FAIRHURST

A HIGHLAND teenager says she has avoided undergoing dangerous lifesaving spinal surgery by doing simple exercises.

Laila Shah, 18, has been given a special muscle workout to help correct a painful condition called scoliosis, which causes the spine to curve.

The former pupil at Millburn Academy, Inverness, was 16 when she noticed a lump developing near her ribs on the right side of her body.

The teenager’s condition deteriorated as her back became more and more contorted.

Laila was then told by doctors at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. That she could die if she did not undergo a 10-hour operation to prevent her spine crushing her internal organs.

The spinal fusion surgery involved inserting two metal rods on either side of the spine to correct the back position and fuse the bones together.

Patients can die on the operating table, while other risks include paralysis, nerve damage and infection.

Laila’s mother, Sameena, said she saw her active, bubbly daughter became withdrawn, especially as Laila was forced to miss the first term at Birmingham University where she had hoped to train as a dentist.

Mrs Shah said: “seeing my daughter so frightened was horrendous, especially as I was just as anxious. I felt backed into a corner as I had been told that without surgery my daughter could die and the associated risks were also sky-high.”

Mrs Shah went on the internet and found an alternative to drastic surgery at the Scoliosis SOS Clinic in London. At the clinic last month, consultations found Laila had three curves in her spine.

Over the past four weeks, Laila has undergone an intensive physiotherapy and exercise regime and says she has experienced a transformation.

Her posture has improved, her back is straighter and her condition has stabilised – meaning she does not need to undergo the spinal operation. Her lung capacity has increased and she no longer has back pain.

She should be able to maintain her continues with daily exercises and she will return to the clinic for a check-up in six months’ time.

Now the teenager is looking forward to take up her university place this September.

Laila said “I am so happy with the cosmetic changes in my back. I lost all my self esteem when I was diagnosed with scoliosis and felt everyone would stare at me – but now I am confident that I am standing much taller.”

Mrs Shah said she was “overjoyed” her daughter was able to avoid drastic surgery, but she added: “I am disgusted that no one told me about the clinic. I am desperate to raise awareness of the condition and the treatment options available to save other teenagers from the operating table.”

A spokeswomen from Raigmore Hospital said they were delighted that Laila’s condition had improved, but they are unable to comment on individual patients.

Felixstowe & District Flyer – ISSUE 167 – November 2011

Scoliosis (from Greek “crooked”) refers to an abnormal curvature of the spine. In the UK, idiopathic (otherwise unexplainable) scoliosis affects three to four children out of every 1,000 and can develop at any time during childhood and adolescence, tending to be more common in girls than boys.

The debate about treatment is still fairly polite but it should be much more openly discussed. When curvature is noticed, the most usual route is for referral to an orthopaedic surgeon who will consider the options of watchful waiting, bracing or surgical treatment. If the curvature is over 50 degrees, surgical treatment to obtain curve correction and to prevent curve progression might be recommended, placing metal implants onto the spine which are then attached to rods which correct the spine curvature and hold it in position until fusion, or knitting of the spine elements occurs. Surgery can be performed from the back or through the front of the spine.

However further surgery may be needed in 5% as early as five years later, and it is estimated that 5% of all patients have complications such as haemorrhage and infection. Because spinal surgeons have not always audited their work in a way to address international criteria. The “ScoliRisk Study”, organised by the Scoliosis Research Society, will now thoroughly evaluate neurological and all complications associated with complex adult spinal deformity surgery to provide this data for risk assessment.

Some orthopaedic surgeons believe that although their three “treatment” methods are well accepted and well studied, alternative treatments to prevent curve progression or prevent further curve progression such as chiropractic medicines, physical therapy, yoga, etc “have not demonstrated any scientific value”. Nevertheless those who have scoliosis and who have wanted to do something themselves to correct it, have developed scientifically proven, well-established, non-surgical techniques that work.

We are very fortunate in Suffolk to have Erika Maude who, herself a sufferer of scoliosis, was able to correct her deformity during her own search for effective postural training. In 2006 she opened the scoliosis treatment centre in Martlesham (now called Scoliosis SOS Clinic). Which uses a variety of techniques (“The ScolioGold method”).

With scoliosis, it seems that postural habits ‘feed’ into the curvature – amplifying it to a large degree. By improving postural habits, the teenager can learn to lengthen out the curve rather than making it worse by pulling down into it. Braces, even though design-aided by computer, are more likely to worn with resentfulness and passivity. Surely as we expect people to take more control over their bodies, offering a way of “working” out their tensions and constrictions must be an alternative therapy to the use of corsets and rigid rods.

Dr Janet M. Massey

Kentish Times    www.bromleytimes.co.uk     Thursday, 24 February, 2011

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy’s dreams of being a professional swimmer were almost shattered until he underwent pioneering new treatment.

Jumon Johnson, from Bromley, had Scoliosis – a severe curving of the spine which if left untreated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.

The teen did not want to undergo the nine-hour operation which would leave him with metal rods in his back as he was afraid it would damage his chances of becoming a top athlete.

Jumon

After trawling the internet following his diagnosis in May last year, his mother Mandy Johnson, found the Scoliosis SOS clinic which offers alternative treatments for the condition.

After attending four weeks of sessions during December, he has recently got back in the pool.

He said; “before coming for treatment I felt very self-conscious about my back and I avoided letting anyone see it, especially when I was at school.

“Besides how it looked, the pain was stopping me from progressing in my swimming lessons and my coaches and I often worried if the sport could be making my back worse. I really didn’t want to have to give up sport and so am very happy that I found the clinic.

“Now my pain has gone and I feel taller, stronger and more confident. My swimming has improved and I’m aiming to swim professionally one day.”

His mother added: “It got to the point where I was absolutely desperate to find something to help my son. He refused to have surgery and there was no way I was going to push him into something I didn’t even agree with myself.

“He has come a long way since he was initially diagnosed. I was terrified of him having his spine fused as I had read so much information about how the surgery could go wrong. I am really glad that I pushed to find an alternative treatment as my persistence paid off.”