Gruelling treatment has helped Jack to walk tall once more
TEENAGER Jack Milton's life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with a crippling spine condition.
But now he's able to climb and stay active thanks to a treatment which has given him a remarkable new lease of life.
At the age of 15, Jack was told his spine had started to compress and bend into an 'S' shape, causing him excruciating pain.
Jack's ribcage also began to rotate and he suffered discomfort even during simple actions such as sitting at a desk or carrying a back pack.
He had regular treatment with an osteopath but doctors said risky surgery to place steel rods on either side of his spine and fuse his bones would eventually be Jack's only option.
But the student's life was transformed after he discovered a unique treatment which has improved his condition.
Jack, now 19, from Fourth Avenue, Havant, took part in a series of intensive exercises for a gruelling six hours a day, five days a week during a four-week course at a specialist Scoliosis SOS clinic in Martlesham, Suffolk.
He gained an inch in height during the treatment, and his quality of life has since dramatically improved.
His posture is more upright and Jack is more comfortable in dealing with his condition after being taught how he can help prevent his scoliosis from progressing.
Jack said: 'I was in pain pretty much all the time but I just tried to block it out.
'It wasn't until after I had had the treatment that I realised how much it was affecting my life.
'If I hadn't had this treatment, the only other option would have been surgery eventually, and I didn't want that.
'A lot of it is about learning to hold yourself up properly so you don't slouch and risk damaging your back even more.
'It's made a huge difference to my life. I'm a lot more confident – I'm taller and more upright than I was before and in a lot less pain.
'I will carry the knowledge I have learnt through the rest of my life.'
clare.semke@thenews.co.uk
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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