'I felt like a hunchback and didn't want to go out': Ballerina with scoliosis can finally stand tall again thanks to back exercises

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2570324/Ballerina-scoliosis-finally-stand-tall-thanks-exercises.html

• Hannah Martyn was diagnosed with curvature of the spine three years ago
• She was warned she might need surgery to place rods in her back
• In a bid to avoid this, she took an exercise programme to strengthen the muscles in her back and this was so successful she has returned to ballet

By Emma Innes

PUBLISHED: 17:11 GMT, 28 February 2014 | UPDATED: 18:46 GMT, 28 February 2014

A ballerina who was too ashamed to go outside because of her misshapen spine has managed to avoid surgery.

Hannah Martyn, 19, feared she would be labelled a hunchback after being diagnosed with scoliosis three years ago.

Her dreams of becoming a professional dancer were shattered when she was told she faced nine hours of spinal surgery to place metal rods in her back.

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Hannah Martyn, 19, was diagnosed with scoliosis - curvature of the spine - three years ago

However, Miss Martyn, from Wigan, was then referred to London-based clinic Scoliosis SOS where she was offered non-surgical treatment.

Following her treatment at the clinic she has returned to dancing five times a week.

Miss Martyn said: ‘Scoliosis just took over my life and left me distraught - I was paranoid and insecure about going out in case people were looking at my back.

‘I lost all my self-confidence. I love dancing - it’s the way I choose to express myself. So when doctors told me I needed to have a major operation I was torn to pieces.

‘I knew I wanted to be a professional dancer and it’s all I wanted to do. But the surgery would dramatically reduce my flexibility.’

Instead, she turned to a non-surgical treatment to improve her condition, and has stunned medics with her remarkable progress.

When she was diagnosed, Ms Martyn was warned she might need a risky nine hour operation to place metal rods in her back as a way of straightening her spine

In a bid to avoid surgery, the ballerina undertook an exercise programme designed to strengthen the muscles in her back. This was so successful that she has now returned to dancing five times a week

Scoliosis causes the spine to develop an S-shaped curve. The condition affects about four children in every 1,000 and if left untreated it can lead to fatal heart and lung problems in severe cases.

Current treatments for severe scoliosis centre on having a major operation, which can be risky and involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine to straighten it.

Instead of surgery, the Scoliosis SOS clinic focuses on using a series of individually-tailored muscle exercises in order to treat the condition.

WHAT IS SCOLIOSIS?

Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape.

Signs include a visible curve in the spine, one shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other, clothes not hanging properly and back pain.

Pain usually only affects adults with the condition.

In most cases, the cause of the scoliosis is not known but it can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.

In the UK, scoliosis affects three to four children out of every 1,000.

It is also thought that as many as 70 per cent of over 65s have some degree of scoliosis.

It is more common in women than in men.

Most children with the condition do not require treatment as it is mild and corrects itself as the child grows.

However, in severe cases the child may need to wear a back brace until they stop growing.

Occasionally, a child needs surgery to straighten their spine.

In adults, it is usually too late to treat the condition with a back brace or surgery so treatment revolves around reducing pain.

Source: NHS Choices

Miss Martyn said: ‘I knew there were huge risks involved with the operation and that there could be a very long recovery period.

‘But after just a few weeks of treatment the difference in my posture is obvious, I can’t believe how far I’ve come.

‘I was overwhelmed by my final photographs and I am relieved that I am no longer at risk from surgery.’

Just before Miss Martyn turned 18, in a last attempt to save her daughter from having major spinal surgery, her mother Janet decided to start searching for an alternative treatment.

It was at this point that she came across Scoliosis SOS.

A spokesman for Scoliosis SOS said: ‘Current treatment in the UK is to wait until the curve becomes so severe, that the only option left is to operate.

‘The major operation is an incredibly risky procedure which involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine, before the spine is fused solid.

‘After endless X-rays and appointments with various specialists Hannah was told that she would need surgery as soon as possible.

‘But after just four weeks of treatment with at our clinic, Hannah had achieved some remarkable results.

‘Not only had she managed to stabilise her condition but she had made significant improvements to her posture, physical appearance and lung capacity.’

A spokesperson for Scoliosis Association UK said: ‘With respect to the treatment of scoliosis we always advise that patients follow the advice of a scoliosis specialist.

‘The scientific evidence that intensive exercise “cures” scoliosis is sparse and unreliable.

‘In mild curvatures intensive exercise can improve posture, muscle strength (thereby supporting the spine more efficiently), flexibility, and appearance, but there is no long-term evidence that it will ultimately prevent progression of a curve.

‘It is important to remember that the scoliosis is different in individuals and that some may have only very mild curvatures that will not progress. 

Traditional NHS treatment for Scoliosis explained

Before her treatment (left), Ms Martyn was to ashamed to go outside as she was scared of being labelled a hunchback. Since her treatment (right) she says she is really happy with the improvement in her posture

‘Such individuals will therefore benefit from treatments that improve appearance – largely because of positive psychological benefits.

‘Specialists undertake surgery only if it is essential for the long-term health of the individual, how much of the spine is fused will depend on the position and severity of the curve, and great care and consideration is taken to minimise the effect on spinal flexibility.

‘The dangers of surgery are overstated. Serious complications are very rare indeed.

‘Staying fit and active and keeping the core muscles strong is highly desirable for everyone, and especially so for people with spinal conditions, however, a life-long programme of specific exercise is a huge commitment, with no guarantee of long-term success.’

For more information visit www.sauk.org.uk

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