A KEEN sailor from York who developed a condition which causes her spine to crush her lungs said she has transformed her health by undergoing an alternative treatment.

Savannah Tweed, 30, of Hull Road, spent every weekend sailing until she began to suffer from severe pain shooting down one side of her back and noticed her shoulder blade had begun to protrude on one side.

After attending an emergency medical appointment, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine likely to become progressively more serious meaning that major surgery was her only option.

She said her situation was made even more worrying after she was told there would be a three-month wait to see a specialist.

However, Savannah said her life had been turned around and she had been able to return to sailing after she did her own research and underwent four weeks of treatment at the Scoliosis SOS clinic in central London, which includes a combination of non-invasive exercises.

Miss Tweed said about learning of her prognosis: “I had always been so healthy and never had any problems, and I thought that my pain would pass and it was probably down to me overdoing my sailing.

“I never thought I would end up having to face major spinal fusion surgery and I was devastated that I could end up losing my flexibility completely.

“I was very frightened and lost a lot of my confidence. I became very self-conscious and it really affected my social life. I know it sounds strange, but I felt cheated and that everything which was going on was extremely unfair.”

The course taught Savannah a series of exercises to keep her condition under control. She said: “It has completely changed my life. My back looks completely different and I’m so much happier. It’s a huge weight off my mind and I don’t have sleepless nights because of the pain and worrying about what might happen any more.”

Scoliosis affects more than four per cent of the population and if left untreated can lead to fatal heart and lung problems.