Sherie,
That's so great to hear! How old is your daughter? Are her curves mild, moderate, or severe? I live in Pennsylvania, which isn't close to Dr. Woggon at all. So, I do the year commitment program with another chiropractor in my area. Dr. Woggon trained a whole bunch of chiropractors all over the country on his method. Is your daughter's chiropractor similiar with the clear institute? Anyway, I was lucky enough to choose from three chiropractors in my city. Mine is about 45 minutes to an hour away. For the year commitment, I have to go three times a week for 8 weeks, then two times a week for 8 weeks, and then one time a week for another 8 weeks. After that, if all goes as planned, I should only be seeing him once a month. I started in June. I'm on my first set of 8 weeks now, so I'm still seeing him three times a week. We're going to take x-rays next week to see how everything is working. . The whole "3 times a week" "2 times a week" etc. isn't the common standard. I think Woggon figures it out according to the first x-rays. In my case, 8 weeks is the time period that was decided. Anyway! Let's talk about exercises! Haha. It's pretty intense! Once I get to the chiropractor I walk around with a 4 lb. head weight on my head as well as a hip weight on my right hip. I also walk around with glasses that have the left eye covered with a patch. The whole covering of the eye-glass has to do with re-training of the muscles to work in the back. I am left-eye dominant and somehow that has something to do with my scoliosis. After that, I do 15 minutes on a wobble chair. Woggon will figure out what exercises are right for your daughter. I do three of them. In my case, they help the lumbar region loosen up and realign. I'm guessing this is what you mean by the scoli chair? Or maybe it's something else that I'll get to later...but just so you know, I didn't have to buy anything. That was a major concern for me and my family. After buying this whole muscle stim set with the COPES Program and having it not work, we were not ready to buy anything! Haha. But maybe you'll have to buy it since you're doing the week program? Anyway, after the wobble chair, the therapists do a muscle stim on my back. It's probably unlike anything you've ever seen. It's pretty cool, it looks like a power tool? Haha. They do the muscle stim on the side opposite of the curve. It makes sense because they're trying to make the weaker muscles work properly and hold the spine in proper position. It might look like it hurts but honestly, it feels so good. (In fact, my chiropractor told me that if he performed the same adjustments and exercises on people that didn't have scoliosis, it would feel extremely weird and painful.) After the muscle stim, I do a neck muscle stim with a 10 lb head weight pulling my head back for 15 minutes. It 's hard to explain but I'm laying flat on my back and the headweight is attached like a harness. THENNN, I do a lower pelvic stim. We had to add that because my lower curve wasn't progressing as well as my cervical curve. Then he adjusts me. The adjustments are grrrreaaaat. I think they're the best part. You really feel things moving, it's awesome. I'm pretty sure Dr. Woggon will do a certain adjustment on your daughter. I think all of the patients go through it. It looks scary but it's really not. It involves a harness-type thing that goes around your head. Haha, also hard to explain. It's on his website if you want to see it. I forget which number it is but it's in his slideshow. Then, after that, I do a neck stretch for 15 minutes. Finalllyyyyy, I stand on a vibrating machine with the same head/hip weights and glasses for 20 minutes while I throw around a little bag which weighs 2 lbs. It loosens up the curves with vibration. (Vibration is really important in this whole program.) During the first few weeks I sat on a chair that pulled me in opposite directions while vibrating and lifting my head. This might be the scoli chair that you're talking about but I'm not sure. I'll be using that sometime in the future, it all depends on my x-rays after the initial 8 weeks.
So I usually spend about 2 hours in the chiropractors office. Even after all of this I have some home exercises to do.
I have to walk with the head/hip weights and glasses for 20 minutes twice a day. Then I have to do a traction exercise with the hip weight for 20 minutes. It's really easy to set up, it just goes over a door. Then I do a spinal molding for 20 minutes twice a day. All that entails is laying on the floor with wedges placed in a certain position under my back. Very relaxing. Haha. Then I just do isometric exercises for my neck whenever I can. They're really easy and take just seconds to do.
It might seem like a lot. At first, I thought it would be impossible, especially with school and everything! Even though I started in the summer, I was taking summer classes, and I'll still be doing this during the school year. Even so, I'm so glad I started this. It definetley opened me up to time management skills. Haha. As long as you REALLY keep yourself on a strict schedule and really manage your time, it will be fine. I'm guessing your daughter will have to do the exercises a lot after the week ends?
And yes! I'm so glad you have a great chiropractor as well! I had a similiar experience with orthopedic surgeons. I don't know if it was just the surgeons in my area..but they were all very cold and dismissive as well! I think I was about 11 when a doctor in Children's Hospital told me I would have to get the surgery or else I would die in my 20s..haha, that's not exactly the greatest way to say things. But oh well. Actually, there's a surgery center not too far from my chiropractic center, and they actually give their patients the option of trying the clear-institute program before deciding to go ahead with the surgery. I guess all surgeons aren't as close-minded as I thought.
I wish you guys the best of luck!!! It's pretty amazing. I bet she'll be sore! Haha, it's actually a good sign if she's really sore. It means things are moving! AND, you have every right to be skeptical! But Dr. Woggon is a PRO at this. After all, it's his method. He'll know exactly how to treat your daughter and what's best for her. Keep us updated!
That's so great to hear! How old is your daughter? Are her curves mild, moderate, or severe? I live in Pennsylvania, which isn't close to Dr. Woggon at all. So, I do the year commitment program with another chiropractor in my area. Dr. Woggon trained a whole bunch of chiropractors all over the country on his method. Is your daughter's chiropractor similiar with the clear institute? Anyway, I was lucky enough to choose from three chiropractors in my city. Mine is about 45 minutes to an hour away. For the year commitment, I have to go three times a week for 8 weeks, then two times a week for 8 weeks, and then one time a week for another 8 weeks. After that, if all goes as planned, I should only be seeing him once a month. I started in June. I'm on my first set of 8 weeks now, so I'm still seeing him three times a week. We're going to take x-rays next week to see how everything is working. . The whole "3 times a week" "2 times a week" etc. isn't the common standard. I think Woggon figures it out according to the first x-rays. In my case, 8 weeks is the time period that was decided. Anyway! Let's talk about exercises! Haha. It's pretty intense! Once I get to the chiropractor I walk around with a 4 lb. head weight on my head as well as a hip weight on my right hip. I also walk around with glasses that have the left eye covered with a patch. The whole covering of the eye-glass has to do with re-training of the muscles to work in the back. I am left-eye dominant and somehow that has something to do with my scoliosis. After that, I do 15 minutes on a wobble chair. Woggon will figure out what exercises are right for your daughter. I do three of them. In my case, they help the lumbar region loosen up and realign. I'm guessing this is what you mean by the scoli chair? Or maybe it's something else that I'll get to later...but just so you know, I didn't have to buy anything. That was a major concern for me and my family. After buying this whole muscle stim set with the COPES Program and having it not work, we were not ready to buy anything! Haha. But maybe you'll have to buy it since you're doing the week program? Anyway, after the wobble chair, the therapists do a muscle stim on my back. It's probably unlike anything you've ever seen. It's pretty cool, it looks like a power tool? Haha. They do the muscle stim on the side opposite of the curve. It makes sense because they're trying to make the weaker muscles work properly and hold the spine in proper position. It might look like it hurts but honestly, it feels so good. (In fact, my chiropractor told me that if he performed the same adjustments and exercises on people that didn't have scoliosis, it would feel extremely weird and painful.) After the muscle stim, I do a neck muscle stim with a 10 lb head weight pulling my head back for 15 minutes. It 's hard to explain but I'm laying flat on my back and the headweight is attached like a harness. THENNN, I do a lower pelvic stim. We had to add that because my lower curve wasn't progressing as well as my cervical curve. Then he adjusts me. The adjustments are grrrreaaaat. I think they're the best part. You really feel things moving, it's awesome. I'm pretty sure Dr. Woggon will do a certain adjustment on your daughter. I think all of the patients go through it. It looks scary but it's really not. It involves a harness-type thing that goes around your head. Haha, also hard to explain. It's on his website if you want to see it. I forget which number it is but it's in his slideshow. Then, after that, I do a neck stretch for 15 minutes. Finalllyyyyy, I stand on a vibrating machine with the same head/hip weights and glasses for 20 minutes while I throw around a little bag which weighs 2 lbs. It loosens up the curves with vibration. (Vibration is really important in this whole program.) During the first few weeks I sat on a chair that pulled me in opposite directions while vibrating and lifting my head. This might be the scoli chair that you're talking about but I'm not sure. I'll be using that sometime in the future, it all depends on my x-rays after the initial 8 weeks.
So I usually spend about 2 hours in the chiropractors office. Even after all of this I have some home exercises to do.
I have to walk with the head/hip weights and glasses for 20 minutes twice a day. Then I have to do a traction exercise with the hip weight for 20 minutes. It's really easy to set up, it just goes over a door. Then I do a spinal molding for 20 minutes twice a day. All that entails is laying on the floor with wedges placed in a certain position under my back. Very relaxing. Haha. Then I just do isometric exercises for my neck whenever I can. They're really easy and take just seconds to do.
It might seem like a lot. At first, I thought it would be impossible, especially with school and everything! Even though I started in the summer, I was taking summer classes, and I'll still be doing this during the school year. Even so, I'm so glad I started this. It definetley opened me up to time management skills. Haha. As long as you REALLY keep yourself on a strict schedule and really manage your time, it will be fine. I'm guessing your daughter will have to do the exercises a lot after the week ends?
And yes! I'm so glad you have a great chiropractor as well! I had a similiar experience with orthopedic surgeons. I don't know if it was just the surgeons in my area..but they were all very cold and dismissive as well! I think I was about 11 when a doctor in Children's Hospital told me I would have to get the surgery or else I would die in my 20s..haha, that's not exactly the greatest way to say things. But oh well. Actually, there's a surgery center not too far from my chiropractic center, and they actually give their patients the option of trying the clear-institute program before deciding to go ahead with the surgery. I guess all surgeons aren't as close-minded as I thought.
I wish you guys the best of luck!!! It's pretty amazing. I bet she'll be sore! Haha, it's actually a good sign if she's really sore. It means things are moving! AND, you have every right to be skeptical! But Dr. Woggon is a PRO at this. After all, it's his method. He'll know exactly how to treat your daughter and what's best for her. Keep us updated!
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