Doctors thought teenage hip-hop fan Kim Johnson might never dance again.
The 17-year-old, from Jesmond, Newcastle, was facing a life of pain after being diagnosed with severe curvature of the spine.
But now she is back in the dancefloor after undergoing non-surgical treatment.
Kim was devastated when she was diagnosed with scoliosis.
Referred to an orthopaedic consultant, the teenager was told that if her condition continued to progress, she would need to undergo a nine hour operation which would involve having metal rods fitted down her back.
It threatened to totally change the life of the teen, who had always been athletic and danced up to five times a week.
Kim said: “Scoliosis completely took over my life for several years after I was diagnosed.
“I felt like everyone was staring at my back all the time and I lost nearly all of my self-confidence.
“I love dancing, it’s something I use to express myself. So when I was told that I needed to have major surgery which would dramatically reduce my flexibility, I was left in pieces.
“I knew that I wanted to continue with Hip-Hop dancing and possibly teach some sort of dancing at some point.
“I also knew that there were huge risks involved with the operation and that there could be a very long recovery period.”
Scoliosis causes the spine to excessively curve sideways. The condition affects more than four percent of the population and if left untreated can often lead to fatal heart and lung problems.
Kim was desperate to avoid losing her flexibility as she was worried about the impact on her dancing career.
But just before she turned 16 Kim’s mother, Jenna, came across Scoliosis SOS, a clinic offering non-surgical treatments for the condition.
After a four-week course of exercise, Kim managed to make significant improvements to her posture, physical appearance and lung capacity.
Kim has now returned home and has been able to return to hip hop dancing at Newcastle Dance Centre, something she thought would be completely impossible.
She said: “When mum mentioned the SOS clinic, I was slightly sceptical. I did not understand how exercises would make such a big difference to my back.
“But the difference in my posture is obvious.
“I was overwhelmed by my final photographs and I’m relieved that I’m no longer at risk from surgery.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to dance classes.”
Source: Chronicle Live, 24th May 2015
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