A BECKENHAM woman who was diagnosed with a life threatening disease more than a decade ago has found a new treatment which has helped change her life.

Paige Anderson, 67, suffered from debilitating pain for years after being diagnosed with scoliosis, a disease which causes the spine to curve excessively and can lead to fatal heart and lung complications.

But after finding a new treatment, Ms Anderson, of Manor Way has been able to return to normal life.

Shortly after being diagnosed Ms Anderson could barely walk 10 metres and could not lie down due to her chronic back pain.

She said: “ Following the diagnosis I slowly slipped into a deep depression. The joy seemed to have been removed from my life.

“On a bad day I could barely move due to the pain I was suffering.”

After visiting several specialists she was told the only solution was a nine hour operation to insert metal rods into her spine to straighten it, but it would not help her pain or mobility and could leave her paralysed and she decided not to have it.

The pain was so bad she was forced to retire and could no longer even do her favourite hobby, craftwork.

But as her condition worsened she revisited her doctor, only to be told her condition was so severe her spine could crush her internal organs.

Now too old to have the surgery, she was sent home with painkillers.

But after being sent home in despair she discovered Scoliosis SOS through an internet search engine, a clinic offering non-surgical therapy.

After finishing a 10-week course, which involves specialist exercises, stretches and physical therapy, at the end of September, Ms Anderson is a new woman and is finally living pain free.

Now she wishes she had found the clinic sooner, as it could have saved her years of pain.

She said: “The treatment I received has completely changed my life and I will be eternally grateful.

“Before I found Scoliosis SOS, I was told that nobody could help me, and was so frightened that I would end up in a wheelchair due to the debilitating pain I was suffering.

“Now I feel like a new woman.”