A mum-of-two says drastic changes to her diet succeeded where conventional and alternative medicines failed in relieving chronic everyday pain.

Katie Slattery, from Accrington, has suffered from several health conditions since childhood, including “excruciating” rheumatic condition fibromyalgia, which flared up again when she was 20.

The former Hollins pupil is now urging other people to take food intolerances seriously, claiming that cutting out “trigger foods” enabled her to finally get the condition under control - and deliver a hefty weight loss on the side.

Katie, who is married to David and has two daughter Ellie and Myla, said the condition runs in her family, with her mum Marie Hancock a fellow sufferer.

She added that the medication she used to take had bad side effects, including feeling “drugged up” and she also tried several alternative treatments, including massage therapy, acupuncture, and Pilates.

The former support worker then discovered she has intolerances to cow’s milk, gluten and yeast after undertaking a health screening service which bids to identify your personal ‘food fingerprint’.

Katie Slattery, 27, has eased her chronic pain from Fibromyalgia and several other health conditions she has endured since childhood, thanks to removing several trigger foods

Four months on from taking the YorkTest Laboratories test, Katie, 27, says radical dietary changes have transformed her life, curbing her pain and allowing her to enjoy time playing with her children. She has also shed 10 pounds.

Katie cut out all of her intolerances straight away and while she found it hard at first, she says it is now “second nature”.

She added: “I finally feel normal again. I’ve noticed a massive change since cutting out my trigger foods, particularly in my pain levels.

“Although I still have pains in my back and legs, those are down to my other conditions and the pains from my fibromyalgia have gone. I still struggle from fatigue from time to time but that’s because of the medication I still have to take for my back issues. All of my other symptoms have improved.”

She added: “It’s been a massively drastic diet change. Every once in a while, I think I could murder a burger!

“I do sometimes struggle, but I’ll be cutting these intolerances out for ever so I need to get used to it. It’s not worth being in that pain again just for a bit of food.”

The programme costs £299 and entails a finger-prick blood test at home and 30-minute telephone consultation post-results.