Changing the World 101
"Those who say a small thing cannot make a big difference have never slept in a tent with a mosquito."
The Scoliosis Mentorship Program was founded in 2005, at a Florida chiropractic college by a group of student visionaries who had attended one of CLEAR Institute's seminars on scoliosis correction. Today, it is one of largest organizations on campus, and has begun to sow the seeds for similar clubs across the nation. The mission of the Scoliosis Mentorship Program is clearly stated: to invest in the lives of young people with scoliosis, giving them hope, building up their self-esteem, & encouraging them, while showing them the power of chiropractic to overcome scoliosis.
Many of the mentors currently involved either have scoliosis themselves, or have friends or family members who do. Several have received treatment for their scoliosis through CLEAR-certified clinics, with positive & dramatic results. These are no ordinary students: after attending CLEAR Institute's seminars, many of them have begun internships at chiropractic clinics where the doctor is actually learning more about scoliosis from the student!
This non-profit organization is staffed entirely by volunteers, whose dedication & commitment towards positively changing the lives of scoliosis patients have inspired them to take on this awesome responsibility. Each mentor is fully qualified, having attended the full seminar series (the same series of seminars required to certify a doctor for scoliosis treatment), and received instruction from a professional on how to best relate to & communicate with someone with a debilitating disease.
If you are a doctor treating patients with scoliosis, please consider referring your patients to the website below. If you are living with scoliosis, having the support & encouragement of a mentor can make all the difference in the world in providing you with the courage & commitment to follow through with the daily regimen necessary to overcome scoliosis.
For more information about the Scoliosis Mentorship Program, please take a moment to visit their website at
www.scoliosismentors.org. You may also e-mail them at
info@scoliosismentors.org.
New Research on Scoliosis Surgery
Out of the scientific Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation comes perhaps the most truthful and comprehensive study ever published on the surgical treatment of scoliosis:
"Pediatric scoliosis is associated with signs and symptoms including reduced pulmonary function, increased pain and impaired quality of life, all of which worsen during adulthood, even when the curvature remains stable. In 1941, the American Orthopedic Association reported that for 70% of patients treated surgically, the outcome was fair or poor.... [S]uccessful surgery still does not eliminate spinal curvature and it introduces irreversible complications whose long-term impact is poorly understood. For most patients there is little or no improvement in pulmonary function.... The rib deformity is eliminated only by rib resection which can dramatically reduce respiratory function even in healthy adolescents. Outcome for pulmonary function and deformity is worse in patients treated surgically before the age of 10 years, despite earlier intervention. Research to develop effective non-surgical methods to prevent progression of mild, reversible spinal curvatures into complex, irreversible spinal deformities is long overdue." [emphasis added]
Impact of spine surgery on signs and symptoms of spinal deformity.
Pediatric Rehabilitation, 2006 Oct-Dec;9(4):318-36
Hawes, M.
After publishing the first study to demonstrate scoliosis reduction through chiropractic & rehabilitative treatment in September of 2004, CLEAR Institute is committed to following through with additional research projects that will demonstrate objective & long-term correction in the patients who follow our protocols. The need has never been greater.
A Note on Vibration Therapy: Buyer Beware!
CLEAR Institute utilizes one of the most innovative & cutting-edge therapies to be introduced to the realm of spinal rehabilitation in the 21st century: vibration therapy. However, it is worth mentioning, now that some companies have begun to manufacture whole-body vibration platforms out of a quest for profit rather than effective rehabilitation, that not every vibration device on the market will yield the same positive results. Many companies marketing whole-body vibration platforms are citing research studies performed upon platforms that used different frequencies of vibration than the platform they are selling.
The vibration therapy equipment utilized by CLEAR Institute arose out of decades of experience in biomechanical spinal rehabilitation, combined with years of researching the most recent & detailed scientific studies to emerge from Russia, Europe, and the United States. The platform we use vibrates at a frequency that has been shown through objective, independent studies to provide the greatest benefit to the spine & the neuromuscular system, and we hold the patent on the platform that is fixed at this frequency. Almost every other platform to be patented in the USA in the last five years has been required to go around this through the use of an adjustable frequency. However, there is no way on any of these platforms for the user to verify their frequency is set at the optimal level.
Scientific research supports the premise that the frequency & amplitude of vibration is the key to achieving positive results. Certain frequencies of vibration have even been proven to be harmful to the spine and digestive system, and may in fact worsen posture & balance. If you or your doctor are currently utilizing a whole-body vibration platform not endorsed by CLEAR Institute for the treatment of your scoliosis in an attempt to save money by cutting corners, you do so at your own risk.
2007 Scoliosis Seminar Schedule
The first seminars in 2007 will be held in Dallas, Texas, at Parker College of Chiropractic, on the following dates:
Spring
Part 1 - March 31st & April 1st
Part 2 - April 21st & 22nd
Part 3 - May 12th
Autumn
Part 1 - October 13th & 14th
Part 2 - November 3rd & 4th
Part 3 - December 1st
The first seminar series at a location other than Dallas, Texas, will be held in Denver, Colorado. The exact dates have not yet been finalized, but our goal is to begin Part 1 in the spring (March or April). All new seminar dates will be posted on the website and announced in the newsletter as soon as they are available.
Welcome to Our New Doctors!
Below is a list of the chiropractors who recently completed the full 3-part seminar series taught by CLEAR Institute. Their full contact information can be found on
www.clear-institute.com. These doctors have the full support & endorsement of CLEAR Institute; feel free to contact them to begin the scoliosis treatment program, and please be patient & understanding as they incorporate the new techniques & ideas into their practice which were presented to them at the seminar. Scoliosis is perhaps the most challenging spinal condition a chiropractor may ever face; let me be the first to commend the following doctors who, out of their deep caring & compassion for their own patients, are stepping up to the front lines in the battle against scoliosis!
Dr. Ann Hood - San Francisco, California
Dr. Ty Johnson - Colorado Spings, Colorado
Dr. Tim Ciolkisz & Dr. Andrea Moses - Wilmington, Delaware
Dr. Bruce Thomas - Bradenton, Florida
Dr. Thomas Myers - Celebration, Florida
Dr. Eric Janowitz - Oviedo, Florida
Dr. Jacqueline Smith - Palm Harbor, Florida
Dr. Mark Frank - Zephyrhills, Florida
Dr. Stephen Forbess - Cooper City, Florida
Dr. Michael Lewis - Clermont, Florida
Dr. John Huy - Tarbon Springs, Florida
Dr. Mark Domanski - Savannah, Georgia
Dr. Jon Main & Dr. Rosie Gallegos-Main - Caldwell, Idaho
Dr. Jeff Heller - Urbandale, Iowa
Dr. Paul Kang - Fort Lee, New Jersey
Dr. Kevin Wynne - Wilmington, North Carolina
Dr. David Dick - Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Dr. Matt Ford - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Dr. Lance Bailey - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dr. John Pantalone - Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Dr. Zeke Harkleroad - Austin, Texas
Dr. Brian Hooten - Dallas, Texas
Dr. Mick Mahan - Houston, Texas
Dr. David Erb & Dr. Kimberly Erb - Irving, Texas
Dr. Randy Johns - Texarkana, Texas
Dr. Brian Dovorany - Green Bay, Wisconsin
Dr. Scott Henrichs - Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Dr. Madeline Ting - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
"At times our own spark goes out, and is rekindled by another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."
-Albert Schweitzer
As always, feel free to respond to this newsletter at
care@clear-institute.com with your questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you, and have a blessed & wonderful holiday season!