A year ago, Zach was in a wheelchair. Now he is to represent his country in the Under-16s slalom canoeists summer tour. Here, Fiona Tarrant tells his remarkable story. When Zach Pillinger was 12, he had a paper round. One day, in November 1997, he did his round as usual, speeding round the houses on his bike.

But when he got home, his hips and legs started to hurt and the sports-mad youngster had to miss the next day's school. Much worse was to come.

Within three months Zach, now 13, was in a wheelchair, unable to walk and in incredible pain. Going to school was impossible. Doctors were baffled. Zach had been fit and healthy. He played tennis, rugby and was a junior slalom canoe champion. By January 1998, he couldn't even get into the bath unaided.

Today it's a different story. Thanks to Barbara Minter, of the Adderbury Chiropractic Clinic, Zach is completely better, although he'll never return to a paper round. He has just heard that he's been picked to represent Great Britain for the under-16s slalom canoe summer tour. He is also in the England under-14s canoe slalom team.

"It's like a miracle story with a happy ending. At the time of Zach's illness, it was heartbreaking," said his mum, Pam, 45, at their home in Middleton Cheney, near Banbury.

"I had to watch my son go downhill. He lost weight, looked really gaunt and had no interest in anything. He couldn't even be bothered to use his computer or watch the television."

"Even now he can't do anything that uses one side of his body more than the other, like cycling with a heavy bag full of papers, or playing tennis, but otherwise he's fine."

Despite many visits to the hospital and endless blood tests, doctors could find nothing wrong with Zach. What was even worse was that Zach had been a great sportsman and his muscles were getting weaker by the day. Since the age of ten, he's been very involved in slalom canoe racing and has, season by season, progressed up the ranks.

While he was ill, Zach, a member of Cherwell Canoe Club in Banbury, had to miss the start of the canoe season. He was devastated."I was desperate. Zach was in so much pain. Even sitting on the sofa hurt his hips. I'd have done anything to see my son get better," said Pam. So when a neighbour suggested taking him to a chiropractor, Pam decided they had nothing to lose. "My husband, Steve, was a bit sceptical but I'd have done anything," she said. So Zach went to see Mrs Minter, a McTimoney chiropractor, in Adderbury.

"Within two weeks she had me standing again and walking with crutches. I felt better even after the first session," said Zach.Although Zach had had problems in the past with his hips, he had never experienced anything like the pain and disability he faced at 12. Mrs Minter assessed him and found he was very loose jointed and had a pelvic tilt and misalignment of lumbar vertebra. She used "toggle recoil" movements to flick the vertebra back into place. By doing so, it realigns the muscles, nerves and cartilage and stops any pressure on the nerves, which causes the pain."By February 5, Zach had had three treatments and said his pain had reduced by 50 per cent. By February 9, he was able to take a few steps, unaided and by March 2, his pain had virtually gone and he was walking again ."

Although Zach had to carry on using crutches whenever he felt any pain, and use a back support to improve his posture, his days in the wheelchair were over. By March 12, 1998, he walked into Mrs Minter's clinic, smiling, and announced he'd managed ten minutes paddling in his beloved canoe. Now all he needs are six-week check-ups, as any active athlete might.

He's doing his Duke of Edinburgh Award and plans to become a world-class canoeist.

"Zach's long-term health is down to him. I told him at the very beginning that the body does the healing but he has to help too. I helped him but he had to take responsibility for himself and agree to do exercises to tone up his muscles," said Mrs Minter. "Normally I tell people to expect between four and six treatments, or less."

Mrs Minter, who has been a practising chiropractor for 15 years, is a member of the General Chiropractic Council, and a Fellow of the McTimoney Chiropractic Association. She smiles when I put to her that many people are sceptical about alternative therapies.

"Zach's father was sceptical, but I told him to come in and watch his son's treatment and to ask whatever questions he wanted to." There are others too, like the choreographer and dancer, brought in on an old door in absolute agony, who was back dancing within 24-hours, and the 35-year-old secretary who couldn't bite her teeth together on one side of her mouth and was about to have all her teeth on one side crowned. After one treatment she could bite together normally and has had no further problems.

Mrs Minter does not believe she can work miracles but she does believe that most people's pain can be eased with chiropractic treatment.

Watching a video of Zach in action on the white water rapids at Holme Pierre Point in Nottinghamshire, Pam Pillinger agreed.

"What happened to Zach really was like a fairy story with a happy ending."

Story date: Monday 24 May

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