A TEENAGER says he has got his life back after receiving what is hailed as a pioneering new treatment that could help many more sufferers of a serious spinal condition.

Ergun Bay, 18, had been fit and active until he reached his early teens and developed scoliosis - a condition which causes the spine to excessively curve sideways.

Treatment suggested to him was to wait until the curve becomes so severe, that the only option became a major operation to insert metal rods either side of the spine.

Ergun, a student at the University of York, said: "I really struggled to accept that I have scoliosis, I am so young and it was something I just could not get my head around. It made me so sad to lose my body shape. No one could understand how it made me feel and I was just completely horrified at the idea of watching and waiting. I just don’t see the point in just waiting for something to get worse."

The diagnosis had left Ergun and his family in pieces. He had been told that he was likely to have to give up school for a long time to have the surgery and to recover.

It would spoil his plans of leaving his home country of Turkey to move to York to study Environmental Sciences and he would have to stop playing the sports he loved.

He found a website for a London clinic which specialises in non-surgical treatments and exercises to alleviate the condition.

Within weeks of being on the course, Ergun said his condition had dramatically improved. He was no longer getting short of breath when doing exercise and his confidence improved.

Ergun learnt a set of exercises which strengthened the muscles surrounding his spine and meant that his scoliosis stabilised. He also made improvements to his cosmetic appearance and learnt that his condition would not ruin his life if he kept up the exercises.

He said: "I feel like I have got my life back. I am now able to carry on with all of my activities and my volunteering – something I am completely passionate about. I volunteer for Greenpeace and I love going on nature walks.

"I am adamant that I will continue with my exercises and there is absolutely no way that I will let scoliosis control me. The exercises make me feel safe, it’s such strange feeling but if I do my exercises I can stop worrying about my back and just get on with being a normal student.

"I love York and am enjoying being able to study without feeling like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.”