A SIMPLE exercise routine has proved life-changing for a Darlington woman, after a severe spinal curve left her facing major surgery.

Samantha Young, 48, was fit and healthy until the age of 44, when her GP diagnosed her with scoliosis.

She was told her condition was particularly severe and that she would be referred to see an orthopaedic surgeon

The condition left her facing spinal fusion surgery until she discovered an exercise routine which has drastically changed her prognosis.

She had always spent a lot of time at the gym throughout her life and she was passionate about sports and anything that involved being outside, until her gym instructor started to notice that her hip was protruding on one side.

People at work had started to notice her having to move around more frequently and her lack of energy and were starting to draw their own conclusion that there may be something seriously wrong.

She said: “Scoliosis completely rocked my world. I have always been so passionate about keeping fit and playing sports, getting on a court or on a treadmill, anything like that.

"I enjoy being able to give my all to everything I do and with my health going downhill fast, I was struggling to keep up with anything."

Scoliosis causes the spine to excessively curve sideways. The condition affects more than four per cent of the population and if left un-treated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.

Current treatment in this country 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.

In a desperate last attempt to escape the pain, Samantha and her family started to search online 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 nine years ago and has since brought relief to hundreds of sufferers.

Located in central London, it is the only clinic in the world to offer treatment following the ScolioGold method, which is the combination of internationally renowned non-surgical treatments, which have been practised separately in Europe for several decades.

Mrs Young booked herself onto a four-week treatment course and her whole family were overwhelmed with the results.

She said: "I feel like myself again, I really felt like my world had fallen apart and I didn’t know how to cope with all the emotions that were going around in my head.

"I just wanted to be able to run at the gym and be able to help my family again.

"I felt like a liability, I would start an exercise or a project at work and then have to give up after 10 minutes because of the pain.

"The exercises I learnt were not too difficult it was just about staying motivated, but for me just the thought of being normal again was enough and it helped me to push myself and get some amazing results.

"I cannot wait to get back to the specialists at the hospital and show them what I have achieved through the programme.

"For me having surgery was just not an option and it really wasn’t something I ever wanted to consider, that’s why I knew that I needed to find something else."