Mum beats crippling disease by WEIGHT LIFTING

A woman who was left wheelchair-bound by a crippling neurological disease was able to walk down the aisle at her wedding after taking up body building as an alternative treatment for the condition.

It took Lisa Bradley, 28, six months of hard work in the gym to gain the strength her body needed to battle the illness.

After a series of operations and cocktail of drugs failed to ease her constant pain, Lisa decided on a new course of treatment - weight lifting. The mum-of-three worked with a personal trainer and began lifting tiny weights but was soon pulling off squats, bench presses and bicep curls as her symptoms eased.

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In the process, Lisa's figure reduce by 10 dress sizes and she went from feeling exhausted, bloated and bed bound to having an athletic figure, with the strength to carry on a normal life.

She was even strong enough to walk down the aisle to marry partner Derry Bradley, 34.

Lisa said: "It was amazing to be able to walk down the aisle - I nearly ran it.

"I had no pain whatsoever and felt so confident. My GP is completely amazed and can't believe the difference in me.

"My condition got so severe, it would hurt if I sneezed or moved my toes. I needed assistance for everything, even moving in bed.

"I've gone from needing 24 hour care and being pushed in a wheelchair to training twice a day six times a week.

"I no longer have any pain and have come off my medication - and it's all down to pumping iron."

Lisa, who has children Brannan, 10, Olan, three, and Allayna, two, with Derry, was diagnosed with syringomyelia in 2009.

The rare disease causes cysts to grow in the spinal cord that can eventually destroy it and leave the sufferer paralysed.

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Lisa underwent two major spinal operations but her body became frail and ballooned to a size 22 dress because of the lack of exercise.

At the height of her illness she was forced to endure regular painkilling injections and was on a daily cocktail of tablets, patches and injections.

She decided to try the bodybuilding approach after agreeing to marry Derry - and now intends to keep up her training for life because it's the only thing keeping her condition at bay.

In fact, she's so proud of her new muscles she's entering a bodybuilding show next year.

Lisa sought help from top personal trainer Joe Binley, who specialises in training bodybuilders on how to eat healthily and get into shape for contests.

Joe, based in Cirencester, Glos., said: "Lisa is one of the most dedicated people I've dealt with.

"She has a deep rooted determination to succeed. In a scenario when most would quit Lisa has chosen to fight."