The History of CLEAR Institute
CLEAR Institute was founded in 2000 by Dr. Dennis Woggon, who has run a successful chiropractic practice in St. Cloud, Minnesota, since 1974. The original vision of CLEAR Institute was not to teach doctors how to treat people with scoliosis, but to teach doctors how to help people with spines. The information originally presented at the CLEAR seminars focused on techniques such as how to take standardized, scientific x-rays and analyze them using precise, reproducible methods that virtually eliminate all chances of positioning errors & inaccurate measurements, and included the most advanced spinal correction techniques & therapies. Our goal was to empower doctors to be able to create permanent, structural changes to the spine, which would then improve the function & well-being of their patients on a long-term basis. Typical chiropractic care alone cannot do this; placing a force into the spine will unlock restricted joints, but unless the muscles & ligaments are rehabilitated simultaneously, the problem will re-occur.
Numerous studies have established a connection between posture and health; by creating a structural correction in the spine and improving someone's posture, you can do much more than simply improve their outward appearance. Research has documented how poor posture can impair the health of your heart & circulatory system; cause muscle soreness & pain; increase the risk of falls & fractures; lead to neck, shoulder, & wrist disorders; and reduce a person's overall quality of life. The Shealy Institute, a world-renowned center dedicated to the eradication of chronic pain, has observed that postural abnormalities cause back pain, headaches, & depression. They found that a slight improvement in a patient's posture also decreased their symptoms, and stated that "posture affects every physiological function of the body from breathing to emphysema." Freeman documented that, as we get older, deviations in the body's center of gravity caused poor posture, which resulted in intestinal problems, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, osteoporosis, decreased quality of life, and a shortened life span. Lennon stated that "posture affects and moderates every physiological function.... Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity are among the functions most influenced by posture."
CLEAR Institute was established to find new & better ways of achieving our goal of true spinal rehabilitation, and to share the best of this information with doctors committed to providing their patients with the best possible care. In 2002, however, something happened which would change the destiny of this small organization forever. A colleague of Dr. Woggon's brought in his daughter, who had a severe scoliosis, and asked if he could help. Applying the knowledge & techniques which worked so well to correct non-scoliotic spines only achieved limited successes, and in cases of severe curvature, sometimes they did not work at all. Knowing this, Dr. Woggon began studying scoliosis extensively, and enlisted the aid of several biomechanical experts to help him unravel the mysteries of why the scoliotic spine functions & responds so differently to care, sometimes in seeming opposition with established laws of physics! It was a long process of innovation, experimentation, and trial & error, which involved un-learning many supposed "facts" about scoliosis.
When the new protocols began showing consistent improvement in the vast majority of scoliosis patients, even in severe cases & in elderly individuals, CLEAR Institute began teaching a new seminar program. The first Scoliosis Correction Seminar was held in St. Cloud in 2003. A year later, Parker College of Chiropractic began endorsing the seminars and teaching them through its postgraduate curriculum. Seminars have been held in Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, even as far away as Singapore. The information presented at these seminars continues to grow & develop as we expand our understanding of the scoliotic spine, and promises to offer great hope to the individuals who suffer from the effects of this spinal disorder.
Presently, CLEAR Institute is making the transition into a non-profit organization that focuses upon educating & empowering doctors to effectively treat & manage their scoliosis patients. As a non-profit organization, CLEAR will become eligible for grants & funding that will allow us to conduct extensive research on our protocols, and contribute to the current body of scientific literature on scoliosis.
We sincerely appreciate the support of the individuals & organizations who have been a part of CLEAR Institute's success, and continue to help us grow & thrive in the future. With your help, we will continue to spread a message of hope & healing to people living with scoliosis around the world!
How is CLEAR Different? Watch this video and see!
The protocols & therapies developed by CLEAR Institute are radically different than what the majority of chiropractic clinics & healthcare facilities utilize. This is due to the fact that our mission is altogether different as well; when most people experience a symptom such as pain, they judge the effectiveness of a doctor's treatment by his or her ability to alleviate that symptom. However, the entire basis upon which CLEAR's protocols revolve is not the relief of pain, but the restoration of structure & function. While the patient may certainly experience a reduction in their pain levels and other symptoms such as headaches, our job is not complete until we can demonstrate ideal structure, and thus ideal function.
Dr. Brian Dovorany, who is a member of the CLEAR Institute Board of Advisors, recently created an excellent & informative video for his practice that very effectively explains why the advanced spinal rehabilitation techniques taught by CLEAR could potentially achieve success even if typical chiropractic care & physical therapy are unable to resolve your problem. This video explains the importance of pre & post x-rays as an objective outcome assessment tool to validate & verify the effectiveness of care, and also provides information about the specialized equipment used as a part of our protocols, such as vibration therapy & spinal weighting. Dr. Dovorany has granted CLEAR Institute permission to make this video available on our website, free of charge, to help educate people about what makes the CLEAR method of spinal rehabilitation different.
You can access this video at the following link, under the heading, "Neuromuscular Re-education Video by Dr. Brian Dovorany." The beautiful graphics and detailed yet straightforward presentation make this video fun to watch, and well worth the time!
New Toll-Free Number for CLEAR Institute
We are always happy to receive your e-mail at
care@clear-institute.com if your question is not answered on the website. However, for those individuals who prefer to speak directly with a real person, we recently established a toll-free number to enable you to reach us anywhere in the country, free of charge. This new number is (866) 520-4270, and typical answering hours are between 9 am and 5 pm CST, Mon-Fri. We look forward to hearing from you!
New Doctors Join the Battle against Scoliosis!
The Spring 2008 Scoliosis Correction Seminar series at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas concluded with the workshop on May 12th, introducing several new doctors to the advanced methods of spinal rehabilitation taught through CLEAR Institute.
The doctors who completed the Scoliosis Correction Seminar series in full are listed below, and grouped according to the state in which they practice. If you are interested in scheduling a consultation with the doctor nearest you, you may obtain their complete contact information by clicking on the link below:
Alabama
Dr. Kyle Lopez - Fairhope
Colorado
Dr. Andrew Lake - Bayfield
Kansas
Dr. Robin Gregory - Park City
New Jersey
Dr. Douglas Kaner - Fair Lawn
Dr. Fred Rossi - Stirling
Texas
Dr. Charles Hilliard - Austin
Dr. Christopher Plate - Frisco
Dr. Kelly Cato-Hernandez - Grapevine
Dr. James Fowler - Rowlett
Singapore
Dr. Ryan Olsen
"Don't ever promise more than you can deliver, but always deliver more than you promise."
- Lou Holtz, Football Coach