Fibro Friends

The Paul Whitcomb Saga Continues

In May 2009 Paul Whitcomb closed its clinic Fibromyalgia Relief Center in South Lake, Tahoe and its website www.stopfibro.com. The clinic was not able to recruit enough new patients to keep in business due to bad publicity from the investigation of Whitcomb by the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners and reports from ex-patients on the Internet including this blog.  Dr. Whitcomb started a new website called "Neurologic Relief Centers" at www.stopfibro.net where he continues to promote his approach to treating fibromyalgia and refer people to doctors like Dr. Brady who use his "Neruologic Relief Center Technique". The website includes testimonials from patients at the Whitcomb's former Fibromyalgia Relief Center. I personally know nine patients in these testimonials whose symptoms returned to a level similar of worse then before they were treated. It is interesting that Whitcomb is no longer claiming that their technique is addressing upper spinal cervical stenosis rather that it "resets" or the nervous system, which is in an agitated state. A year ago I wrote in my blog "Paul Whitcomb - Friend or Foe" that I believed that Whitcomb achieved his results by "dampening the nervous system" with frequent adjustments to the top vertebrae of the spine. For a fortunate few this relief was long lasting but the vast majority of patients successfully treated with this technique relapsed after leaving the clinic. Others did not improve at all. 

Because of the relief some patients experienced with Whitcomb's treatments many believe that the technique holds some "key" to the fibromyalgia puzzle. There are no medical findings that support Whitcomb's previous claim that fibromyalgia is caused by subluxation of the first vertebrae or an impingement of the meninges. His "test" for fibromyalgia is a hold at the base of the skull familiar to many holistic physical therapies particularly cranial sacral therapists that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments in general stimulate the autonomic nervous system and reinstate nerve energy circulation in the body. Most people with CFS/FMS have experienced feeling a little better right away then worse again after a chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture treatment or massage. The key difference with Whitcomb's treatments is that he performed them frequently - two to three times a day - so patients experienced longer periods of relief. Unfortunately most patients were unable to sustain this relief on their own. 

The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners completed its investigation of Dr. Whitcomb on May 26, 2009 and reached a final decision on July 31, 2009.  Whitcomb was disciplined for "Repeated Acts of Clearly Excessive Treatment, Gross Negligence, Incompetence, Deficient Charting, and Deceptive/Sensational Statements". The board revoked Dr. Paul Whitcomb's license for two years effective August 31, 2009 and fined him $23,502.50 for the cost of its investigation. In its conclusions the chiropractic board stated the following:

"It may be considered a factor in mitigation that respondent appears dedicated to relieving the suffering of fibromyalgia patients and feels that he holds the key to their recovery. Any mitigation from these noble feelings, though, is tempered by respondent's raging entrepreneurial spirit. He engaged in extensive and hyperbolic efforts to market his "discoveries;" he paid commissions to employees and former patients who brought in patients; he insisted that patients pay for treatments in advance and in cash; he charged patients $62.50 for each of multiple daily adjustments; he was reluctant and slow to return monies when patients left before completing their treatment; and he charged patients approximately $1,000 for a week of monitoring their conditions once he determined they were well. On balance, respondent's devotion to relieving the suffering fibromyalgia patients does not mitigate his conduct." 

For a detailed transcript of this case go to:www.casewatch.org/board/chiro/whitcomb/decision.shtml

Board of Chiropractic Examiners Files Complaint Against Paul Whitcomb

The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners filed an  "Accusation" against Dr. Paul Whitcomb with the Attorney General of the State of California on Monday, November 10, 2008. This Accusation begins an investigation that may result in the suspension or loss of Whitcomb's license to practice chiropractic.The complaint charges Whitcomb with administering excessive treatments, failing to provide structural examinations, failing to develop treatment plans that were medically necessary, failing to provide detailed reexaminations with follow-up visits, deficient charting of patient records, advertising a cure for fibromyalgia and making claims that are sensational and intended to deceive the public. Along with the possible loss of his license Whitcomb could be fined $40,000 or more to cover the cost of the investigation. 

This action by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners comes as a welcome development for former patients like myself who believe it is important that Whitcomb's deceptive practices stop.Our efforts to spread the "truth" about Whitcomb and encourage people to file complaints with the Board of Chiropractic Examiners are paying off!  Two weeks ago I talked to Pattie Caprio who found my blog on the Internet. Pattie who is active in national fibromyalgia support groups was courted by Whitcomb several years ago to come to Tahoe for treatment. Whitcomb offered to pay for all of Pattie's treatment expenses, airfare and lodging in exchange for sharing addresses of people in her support network and he wanted her to come to work for him. Pattie suspected something was not right and declined Whitcomb's repeated offers. She was contacted by Steve Fyffe an ABC television reporter from San Francisco who was doing an investigative report on Whitcomb and was interested in talking to people with negative experiences with Whitcomb. I talked to Fyffe on the phone and referred him to several of my fibro friends including Susan Uribe who shared her story in a television interview. The story aired on Friday, November 14 on ABC7 - KGOTV local San Francisco news. 

Personally I was a little disappointed with the story because it did not disclose the true source of deception, which is that for the majority of the patients who are treated at Whitcomb's clinic the relief of symptoms is temporary. In an investigative blog attached to the local ABC news station Iteamblog.abc7news more of the story was posted including several quotes from me. Unfortunately one of these quotes was preceded by the sentence "But other patients say any effects the treatment might have are more psychological than medical". This was particularly disturbing for me because I never said or implied that the effects of Whitcomb's treatments were psychological.  As I have written in past blogs I believe that Whitcomb is able to achieve his results by a dampening of the nervous system due to repeated interruptions with adjustments at the top of the spine. Despite the inconsistency in the reporting by the media the developments of the past week are important steps towards exposing the truth about Paul Whitcomb.

Paul Whitcomb - Friend or Foe?

A big bear of a guy with a warm and friendly manner, Paul Whitcomb comes across as very sincere. Fibromyalgia patients travel from all over the country and the world to be treated by Whitcomb at his chiropractic clinic in South Lake Tahoe, California attracted by the compelling stories of the success of his method described in his traveling seminar, the website stopfibro.com and in his book “Fibromyalgia; Finally Solving the Mystery”. At the clinic Dr. Whitcomb makes each of his patients feel special and cared for.  He is an attentive listener, exudes compassion and has a good understanding of the symptoms and suffering of those with fibromyalgia.  This coupled with dramatic improvements in health experienced by the majority of the patients at Whitcomb’s clinic and the close friendships formed with other patients make the experience at Tahoe a very positive one. As reflected in the personal testimonies on Dr. Whitcomb’s website most patients leave Tahoe elated by the progress they have made in their health and glowing with praise for their savior Paul Whitcomb. But this is only part one of the story.

Part two is what happens to patients after they leave Tahoe and return home. The truth is that for the majority of patients who are treated by the “Whitcomb method” the cure or relief of symptoms is temporary. Gradually most or all the symptoms of fibromyalgia return. The time frame of relapse and degree varies from patient to patient, the average being six weeks. Initially patients suspect that their relapse was brought on by overdoing it physically or by stress in their personal lives. Not realizing that this experience is common to most of Whitcomb's patients they tend to blame themselves or think they are somehow unique. In my case I blamed it on my sympathetic nervous system that never really settled down at Tahoe despite improvement in other fibromyalgia symptoms. 

When I was a patient in Tahoe I had no idea that the effects of the treatment were not lasting for most patients however in retrospect I had a few clues. I communicated via email with Carol Sue a friend I made at the beginning of my stay who completed her treatment a couple weeks thereafter. Her symptoms began to return after a month. She told me she wished she could have stayed in Tahoe longer because that might have helped her. This encouraged me to stay an extra month in Tahoe but to no avail, my symptoms returned as well. A year later Carol Sue is as sick as when she first went to Tahoe. In an email she wrote: “If anyone asked me if his treatment helped I would say ‘yes, it helped relieve me of $20,000’. I think it is unfair to post only positive testimonials on his website”.  Another clue was Bebe, a patient at the clinic during my stay who was at there for her third time. Bebe’s symptoms returned after her first two extended visits (she had personal reasons she attributed this to) but she was so determined to stay well that during her last visit she stayed for four months only to relapse again.

One by one I heard about disappointing relapses of many wonderful friends I made in Tahoe. Some of the “miracle” cases were most distressing. After years of suffering they claimed to be 100% better and had gotten off multiple medications only to have their fibromyalgia come crashing back when they returned home. Their glowing testimonies remained on Dr. Whitcomb’s website for weeks until they asked to have them removed. (I know of other former Whitcomb patients who did not stay well but still have their testimony on the website). Here is a pretty typical report written by Sharon the wife of a patient that describes what happened to her husband Ron after returning home.

“Ron came home from Tahoe last March feeling pretty wonderful.  Within a few weeks he forgot and threw one of our 78 lb granddaughters up in the air (in the pool) and spent several bad days in bed.   I called Dr. W. and arranged a phone call with him and a chiropractor here. The doctor here put Ron's neck back in place and he seemed good for a few days.  Then it went out again.  He's had to go back to this doctor as it continued to go out for no reason that we know of.  He saw this chiropractor weekly then twice a month all of 2007 and now into 2008.  The doctor here insists he's doing exactly what Dr. W. told him to do but we seriously wonder as Ron is exactly as he was before Tahoe!  This is not good!  Ron started taking Lyrica a month ago.  It has dramatically eliminated his pain but for two weeks all he wanted to do was sleep.  That stopped but now he is slightly spacey and forgetful.  He's trying to decide if he should continue taking it.  So where is Ron at?  Back to where he was before being treated by Dr. W.”

Patients are devastated emotionally by the return of their fibro symptoms. As former Whitcomb patient Mary-Lynne Shank wrote “There is nothing worse than having a taste of what it feels to be healthy, only to have all of our former symptoms return with a vengeance”.  To add to this disappointment patients are also often in debt financially. The average patient stay at the Fibromyalgia Relief Center is ten weeks, which costs $8750 for treatment plus lodging, meals and airfare to Tahoe. Many patients put the costs on a credit card and are told not to worry because after they complete treatment they will be well enough to go back to work. I think about some of the friends that I made at Tahoe who are now as sick as they have ever been and unable to work. One in particular whose spouse is working two jobs just to make ends meet and pay off the credit card debt. Another whose spouse is going back to work after being retired and one who had to move out of her home. Those who are single are struggling even more to make ends meet.  I also know several patients whose marriages suffered considerable strains as a result of  being separated for several months and then readjusting to life at home with their spouse, the disappointment of their fibromyalgia symptoms returning and their money wasted. These stories are heart breakers on every level.

In the fall of 2007 Dr. Whitcomb claimed that he had a new technique that he was teaching his patients to use and that it was helping them stay well after they returned home. Several people from my patient group including myself went back to Tahoe to learn this technique and to see if some further adjustments might be helpful. It turns out that the technique is a basic hold that involves pressing on the back of the head at top of the spine - a procedure that is known and practiced by every cranial sacral practitioner and rolfer to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. It was not helpful for me or the other patients I know who tried it.  Around this time several of us began to confront Dr. Whitcomb about the high level of relapse in patients we knew. As a result of this Dr. Whitcomb hired Susan Uribe, a former patient to do follow up research. She contacted around 75 patients and told me that 95% of them reported they had relapsed. When she reported her findings to Whitcomb he simply said “they did not call me when their symptoms returned”, which was a blatant lie because many of these patients had called Whitbomb. After two weeks of disturbing phone calls with ex-patients and irate spouses Susan became disillusioned and quit her job. She posted a comment in my blog www.fibrofriends.typepad.com that concludes: “It is my opinion that Whitcomb is a master at charming very sick people out of their funds and does not look back.”

Dr. Whitcomb recruits individual patients using patient care representatives who make a commission on every person they get to come to the clinic. His latest method of recruitment is through radio stations where he airs advertisements and through Christian television where he was a guest on the Laura Schlinger show called “God Answers Prayers”.

Due to the high level of relapse in Whitcomb patients it is clear that the Whitcomb Method does not address the underlying cause of fibromyalgia for most people nor does it facilitate any permanent changes in the spinal structure. Dr. Whitcomb’s theory that fibromyalgia is caused by upper spinal cervical stenosis is in my opinion flawed. Whitcomb does not rely on x-rays because by his own admission he cannot see the displacement of the atlas or first vertebrae that supposedly causes a pulling on the meninges. There are many chiropractors who address misalignment of the atlas most notably members of the large professional association called National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association or NUCCA. This organization has over 40 years of research and development in the treatments of C-1 or atlas subluxations. There is also an alternative method of realigning the atlas called Atlas Profilax, which was developed in Switzerland and in most cases requires only one treatment. Addressing a misaligned atlas by these other methods is helpful for a variety of conditions however it is not specific to fibromyalgia.

There is no questions that fibromyalgia patients suffer from an over activated sympathetic nervous system. I suspect that Whitcomb is able to achieve a relief of symptoms by interrupting or dampening the nervous system at the top of the spine with frequent adjustments (2-3 per day over a period of weeks). One of the side effects of this method is that patients usually develop strained ligaments and muscles in the neck and develop neck pain. Since Whitcomb advises his patients not to have anyone touch or massage the neck the neck pain often persists for months.

Recently I corresponded with Sara Sharpsteen a very intelligent Structural Integrator using the Rolfing method whom I met in Tahoe. She reached a similar conclusion about the Whitcomb method, which she summarizes well in the following quote. “The fact is, fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of a condition.  It is a diagnosis of a set of symptoms, and medically speaking there is no clear cause for those symptoms.  In my experience, every person with fibro has a different, changing, set of symptoms.  Any time that a doctor cannot find a cause for chronic, systemic pain, they diagnose fibro.  I have seen so many different variations on this that I can't imagine that there is one single cause for this disease.  I do believe that it is a disease of the fascia and of set off by a severe shock to the system.  That shock might be different for every patient.  And there might be some underlying medical predisposition to the disease.  I don't know.  Somehow the neuromuscular system gets all confused and the fascia is constantly getting the message to scar and harden.  This is why Dr. Whitcomb's method "works".  If you are interrupting the nervous system three times a day you are going to have some kind of effect. It's like you are short circuiting one step in the process.  But as soon as you stop interrupting that message, things go wrong again.  As I understand it, many chiropractors have seen this result and it has been discussed at length in their professional community. This was NOT discovered by Dr. Whitcomb.  He's just the guy who touts it as the "cure", when everybody else admits that it is not.  I have real faith that the answer will come through better understanding of the myofascial system, which is poorly understood at this point.”

In his book “Fibromyalgia, Finally Solving the Mystery Whitcomb says:

“Follow-up care is not needed in most cases. We do have two different modalities we have you use at home. These devises have proved satisfactory and almost never is any other follow up by a practitioner needed.  In the event you get home and find that you start having any return in symptoms that cannot be resolved with your home treatment contact a local chiropractor immediately and have him or her call our office. We will make sure your doctor has adequate information to follow up on your care and keep your symptoms to a minimum. The most difficult part of your treatment will be taken care of while you are here and any follow-up should be easy for your local doctor to perform.”

Whitcomb makes similar statements in his lectures on his website. And at his clinic he tells patients that they should expect to experience continued improvement in their health after they leave his care. I do know two Whitcomb patients that say their health is still better one year after completing treatment in Tahoe and I have heard of several others. But it is clear that these fortunate few are in the minority.

I believe that Dr. Paul Whitcomb is performing a grave disservice to claim that he has solved the mystery of fibromyalgia and is successfully treating fibromyalgia. It is impossible to substantiate the long-term efficacy of his method unless follow up research is done. Whitcomb cannot or does not want to do this because it would force him to reevaluate his claims. He is reaping large financial benefits from his clinic and also thrives on the emotional attachment of his current patients. There is no doubt that Whitcomb is able to provide temporary relief of fibromyalgia symptoms however it is unlikely that many people would pursue treatment if they knew about the high level of relapse. In this way Whitcomb’s actions are unethical and deceptive. Yes, the jury is out and a verdict has been reached. Dr. Paul Whitcomb is not a friend for fibromyalgia patients. He is a Foe.

Stories From Fibromyalgia Patients of Dr. Paul Whitcomb

I have received comments from other people about their experience as patients of Dr. Paul Whitcomb at the Fibromyalgia Relief Center. Since these stories are not immediately visible on my blog I decided to compile them into one post. If you have an experience that you would like to share, send me a comment and I will add it to this post. 

I too was a patient of Dr.Whitcomb and relapsed within a month of returning home from a 74 day stay in S.Lake Tahoe. Following all after care protocols and numerous conversation with Dr. Whitcomb once returning home provided no help whatsoever. This man claims to have "the cure" but "the Cure" is only temporary at best. I have struggled with depression and sadness as a result of my pain returning after such an expensive treatment plan. After seeing numerous doctors once back home ranging from chiropractic care, atlas orthogonal, reike, deep tissue massage nothing seemed to help. Fortunately, I came upon an article on cold laser therapy and the results have been tremendous and longstanding!!! I rated myself a 0% after 4 weeks of returning from Tahoe on a pain scale. After 6 weeks of cold laser therapy, I am at a 70% recovery rate pain wise. For me it as truly been a miracle and so inexpensive. $7.00 a visit and I am now going once every 3-4 weeks and have energy, stamina and sleep restored. I will never regret my friendships in S. Lake Tahoe, however, I would urge anyone who is contemplating going to see Dr. Whitcomb to reconsider. The time and expense is not worth it. Please investigate other options that have been provided here and STAY AWAY from Dr. Whitcomb and his so called "solving the mystery". The mystery is why is he still in practice. - Mary-Lynne Shank

Yes I too was a patient of Whitcomb's... I too spent a minimum of $10,000.00 I did get relief from pain while at the clinic. When you prepare to leave the clinic you are given a sheet of instructions of how to stay well. Pretty much it is essential to do very little for 6 months, should you over do it YOU WILL be afflicted with your symptoms slowly returning. I did pretty much did nothing for six months, other than walk do very light house work. Should I try to have a more normal life, my fatigue and neck pain would return. I understood that I needed to live in a very thin glass bubble.

I began to work for Whitcomb as a patient care rep. in the Anaheim office. Whitcomb wanted me to sign people up to be a patient at Tahoe. For which he would pay me $300.00 per paitnet that I signed up!!! And -- that I could really make a great income because they were going to do a huge marketing campaign - TV and all. GET IT??? I told him no that I did not want to sell (trick) people into coming to Tahoe for a short turn recovery. (My recovery was longer because I DID NO ACTIVITY) I told him my purpose for working was to help patients once they returned home, to remind them they must do very little to stay well. To be a patient outreach. I worked for his son Eric Whitcomb calling prior patients to see how they were feeling. The few that did stay well all seemed to have my home life style. Which was I did not work and had no children at home; so it was very easy for us to do nothing. But should they be tempted to do more activity a flair up surely would visit them.

Conclusion: PLEASE DO PLENTY OF RESEARCH PRIOR TO VISITING TAHOE. YOUR LONG TERM RECOVERY IS VERY VERY UNLIKELY. IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT YOU WILL SPEND $7,000 JUST FOR THE CLINIC (NOT INCLUDING AIRFAIR, HOTEL AND MEALS) ONLY TO BE ILL AT ABOUT A MONTH TO SIX WEEK MARK OF COMING HOME. I quit after 2 weeks - I can not really say what I saw and heard at the office - but it made my stomach sick. "It is my opinion" that Whitcomb is a master at charming very sick people out of their funds, and does not look back. BEWARE!!! - Susan Uribe

I am also a former patient of Dr. Whitcomb. First of all, let me say this...BUYER BEWARE...he is a very charming man and makes everyone feel like they are special and that he really cares. It took me a long time to come to the conclusion that the only thing he cares about is his bottom line. The first time I went to his clinic I spent two months there. I left Lake Tahoe thinking I was cured and continued to feel well for a month after returning home. That was it...one month...then all of my symptoms returned with a vengeance. I followed his after care instructions to the letter, but was made to feel by his staff that I must have done something to make my neck "slip" which caused the relapse. I returned for one week last December, because Dr. Whitcomb said he had a new technique that he was teaching his patients to use. With this "technique" he said his patients were staying well after returning home. What a joke. The technique is nothing more than pressing up on the occipital bone and does nothing. It was during this visit that I brought to Dr. Whitcomb's attention that just about all of my fellow patients had relapsed. I told him about one patient, a young 33 year old women, who was using a walker again because she was so sick. He told me three times during the week that he was going to call her, but never did. That just about says it all. That second trip to his clinic was very difficult for me. I saw the hope on the faces of the patients in the waiting room that they, too, were going to be "cured". They reminded me of the wonderful group of people I spent two months with in his clinic, many of whom are now close friends. I knew that most of them, like us, had traveled a long distance to be there and were spending money they did not have. It broke my heart to know that they were being taken advantage of by a man who knows that his patients do not stay well.With that said, Dr. Whitcomb is still advertising and traveling to promote his clinic. On a recent television program that was broadcast on a Christian television station he stated that follow up care is rarely needed. This is simply not true and he knows it. - Robin Storms

Wow how amazing to find your site! I attended the Tahoe CRACK CLINIC in April of this year. After 3 weeks there I realized what a RIP OFF this place was. There were 25 plus people there. Some had been there 4-6 months!! I kept an eye on everyone and no one seemed to be getting better. Good days and bad days...what was new? I have suffered with FM for 35 years and have tried a LOT of things so I am extremely intuitive. After 3 weeks what I surmized was that this was the biggest SCAM I had ever fallen for. How could I possibly have believed that having my neccracked 3 X a day would cure Fibro??? WOW that website is a DOOZIE - that is all I have to say!!! It grabs you by the heart, makes you cry, and touches every emotional nerve you have! Dr. Whitcomb is a MASTER of manipulation. Why would someone who supposedly have FM himself deceive others??? I am here to say that is exactly what he is doing. And he is doing a DAMN GOOD job of it! First you see the site and realize you are not alone. Then you flip out the credit card or cash in your retirement and head to Tahoe. Once there you are stuck in a room with people who understand every ache, pain, complaint, and feeling you have - sooo you feel "understood" and accepted. You feel as tho you are in a warm and safe cocoon! Not to mention in a beautiful setting and AWAY from the stresses of life! And if anyone is caught talking negatively the group is scolded as a whole. You are brainwashed from the minute you walk in the door and in a very "controlled" environment. Once you are there 8 weeks and not better then they say you need to be there 10 weeks. I heard yesterday that there is a woman still there from when I was in Tahoe in April... That is 5 MONTHS!!!

When I made my decision to leave after 3 weeks I was called all kinds of BAD and negative things. 5 others left as well. Now we are in contact with the sweet and desperate souls that stayed the duration and they have all regressed back to sick. Now the are just SICK and BROKE! I still have a bill of $2,500 I am paying off and I want to scream every month I pay the $300! For WHAT?? Dr. Whitcombs exotic vacations? Oh and speaking of exotic. While I was there one of the (very successful) patients had lunch with Dr. Whitcomb to discuss "growing" his business. He has now confessed to me that Dr. Whitcomb was talking about moving the clinic to COSTA RICA!! Geeeeeee I wonder why? Could it be because people are catching on to his SCAM??? I wish this information could be announded on public news... This man needs to be put out of the business of preying on desperate and TRUSTING individuals. - Regretfully, Jacque Simmons

Unfortunately, I was also a patient at the Whitcomb clinic from March-May 2008. The first Sunday I was home, I had a severe flare and cried all day and night. I was devastated. I picked myself up and thoughtit's ok, the treatment worked, that was just a fluke. However, just like everyone has said at this post, if I did any, any activity a flare was sure to follow. I did not/could not believe that this compassionate man as well as Dr.Brady and his staff know exactly what is happening and they are still preying on all of us sick people who are desperate. All I did was use my retirement money to stay in a run-down hotel (away from my family) hoping/praying that this was finally the answer. That I would have a life again!!! I will never never regret the wonderful fri ends I made there but I am so saddened that we have all been abused by this clinic. Once the reality hits you, you are devastated/embarrassed, you don't know what to tell your family, because they as well as you had put their hopes in this treatment. My pain is now back just like before, and I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do next. No wonder everyone thinks we "the fibro's" are all crazy. I would, too, If it was someone else. But it's not someone else, it's me/it's us. We have got to stick together, support one another (because no one else understands) and stop.stopfibro.com.(thanks jacque) It makes me so mad everytime I research fibro, their site pops up. How heartbreaking!!! That others will fall prey to this scam unless we can stop them or get the word out. - Lori Fleming

I was treated by Dr. Whitcomb 3 years ago and the improvements were also temporary. I was treated for almost 4 months, he also wanted me to come work for him. I did receive a treatment called Atlas Profilax 2 years ago which is a one time treatment which puts the atlas in place at the one time cost of $250. This is what Dr. Whitcomb is trying to achieve with his treatments but at a extremely higher cost and about 100 adjustments. Dr. Whitcomb knows about the Atlas Profilax treatment and had it personally done and recognizes that it does get the atlas in. - Lena Walker

New Blog by Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Patient

Its been a year since I was a patient of Dr. Paul Whitcomb at the Fibromyalgia Relief Center in South Lake Tahoe, California. After I returned  home my symptoms gradually returned and after six weeks my health plummeted into the darkest hole ever. I learned through communicating with the wonderful friends I made in Tahoe that this happened to many others. I actually do not personally know of one patient who was able to maintain all the improvements of the "Whitcomb method" treatment.  Dr. Whitcomb is aware that the relief he provides his patients is temporary yet he does not disclose this information and continues to recruit patients to his clinic. Desperately ill people are investing huge amounts of money often putting the costs on a credit card and spending long periods of time away from home in hopes of a cure. I believe Dr. Whitcomb's actions are unethical and deceptive and should be exposed.

The past year has brought tremendous improvement in my personal health primarily through Oral Systemic Balance a cutting edge therapy that addresses the root cause of many chronic health conditions including Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Syndromes. I write about this therapy at length in my post "Oral Systemic Balance"fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2010/02/oral-systemic-b.html . Other friends that I met in Tahoe have found therapies that have been helpful for them.

The purpose of this blog is twofold. First it will serve to expose the truth about the "Whitcomb method" through first hand reports from patients about what happened to them after returning home. I will attempt to link this blog to internet search engines so that people who are contemplating doing this treatment can find the information. Second it will will serve as a format to share information about treatment and therapies that are helpful to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients. We can all benefit from our shared experiences.

If you have a personal story about your experience as a patient of Dr. Paul Whitcomb, or a report of how you are doing now that you would like to share please post a comment or email me at: [email protected]. Contributions from anyone on the subject of Dr. Whitcomb, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes are welcome. It is my intention that the purpose of this blog be a positive vehicle of support and information.

With love and peace, Darden