Customer Reviews

Fibromyalgia: Finally, Solving the Mystery

5 star:		(9)
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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is not worth it. My daughter asked me to check it out and I thought it was worthless. I also shared it with a chiropractor and MD they both had the same opinion. They felt like me that Dr Whitcomb was just trying to sell books.

The author of this book is a chiropractor, not a medical doctor, and his chiropractic license has been revoked effective 8/31/09.

Why does my review keep disappearing? I'm putting it up again, today Wednesday 12/8/10.

I bought this book (at the full and inflated price of $14.99) from Amazon and I deserve to have my review counted. What use is this whole review system if Amazon is going to let the authors pick and choose which reviews get printed and counted in the rating???

These days anybody can write a book and publish it themselves. That is how this book came to be. Dr. Whitcomb published it himself. The only review of this book included on or in the book is on the back cover, by "New York Times best-selling author" Ellen Tanner Marsh. Her "NYT best-selling author" status comes from two paperback romance novels in the 80's. She currently works for BookSurge (which is a "vanity press" (a relatively new service in the digital age, also called "books-on-demand" or "print-on-demand") now a subsidiary of amazon.com, for amateur writers who want to see their manuscripts in print). Ms. Tanner is paid by BookSurge to write reviews of the books they publish; BookSurge is paid $399.00 by the author of the book being reviewed by Ms. Tanner. Ms. Tanner is said to be an especially prolific paid reviewer. And as far as I can tell that's the best qualification there is to recommend her as a reviewer of this book.

The lone reference in this book to anything or anyone medically authorized in any way (other than Whitcomb himself) is a short quote by a psychiatrist from a rural mental health clinic in Douglas County, CA. I have not verified the quote myself.

Paul Whitcomb's book is an essay of his opinions about FM (pages 1-37), and his theory of FM's spinal misalignment cause and its chiropractic treatment at his clinic (pages 37-95).

"The Whitcomb Technique", from page 37: "We do not claim to treat Fibromyalgia. We are moving on the premise that it is a condition of the cervical spine causing an uncontrolled firing of the nervous system. The aim of The Whitcomb Technique is simply to reduce the subluxation that causes the symptoms we know as "Fibromyalgia.""

There is a chapter called "Statistics." It describes a survey of fifteen patients, administered by Whitcomb's Center. The survey results are combined in a chart. The chart has three columns, the first is titled "Patient #" (from 1 to 15); the second and third columns have no title. Makes it a little hard to understand a very simple chart but I figured it out eventually. The survey consisted of 167 items, symptoms over various parts of the body, which the patient rated on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being no pain and 10 being severe pain. The ratings were added together for a total score from each patient. The second column of the chart is the total score for each patient before the treatment began at Whitcomb's center. The third column is the total score for each patient at the end of treatment. The numbers are markedly lower in the third column than in the second.

That's the extent of any research to prove that Whitcomb's theory works. No follow up numbers at all. Just a bunch of testimonials which, according to people who have been through the treatment, are taken at the end of treatment and never again.

This book is bunk. The picture on the cover is nice, but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover...

Dr. Whitcomb's book rings true for many sufferers of fibromyalgia and that is because he has first hand experience with hundreds of patients with this condition at his clinic in South Lake Tahoe, California. He has discovered a technique that provides relief to the majority of his patients and he truly cares and is dedicated to helping every one of them. I know this because I spent 14 weeks as a patient at his clinic. Of the 30 or so patients that were there during my stay about 75% experienced improvement in their symptoms many becoming dramatically better. One of the benefits of being at the clinic was getting to know and developing a strong bond with other fibromyalgia patients. Unfortunately for myself and the majority of the patients who I have stayed in touch with the benefits of Dr. Whitcomb's treatments did not last and with time many are now as sick as when they first went to Tahoe. For the several who have stayed well Dr. Whitcomb's treatments were a life saver. My personal opinion is that Dr. Whicomb is treating a symptom of the condition, not the true cause but even so he is on to something very significant and his work is an important contribution.

I initially read this book b/c both my boyfriend and his mom suffer from FMS, and I wanted to learn more about what they were going through. FMS is such a heated debate among professional doctors and chiropractors. A lot of them will tell you that FMS doesn't exist; that it's all in the patients' head. Dr. Paul Whitcomb asserts that FMS is all caused by the misalignment of your C-1 (or Atlas, where the base of your skull meets with your spine). If your C-1 is pushed forward (caused by whiplash from car-wrecks, forcep births, trauma, etc), it is pinching your spinal cord. When your spinal cord is pinched, your body can't work properly, and certain symptoms surface, such as insomnia, intense muscle pain, anxiety, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, depression, jumpy legs (legs kick when you're drifting asleep), headaches, etc. There are many different degrees of this; people who catch this early may have just some of these symptoms, and they're not so severe. People who have had it for years (like my boyfriend's mom) slowly start doing less and less, and eventually become debilitated to the point where they're bed-ridden.
This book gives hope to those sufferers. For many years, doctors have not recognized FMS as a serious condition, and therefore very little progress has been made about treating it. Dr. Paul Whitcomb does recognize it, and has spent the last several years committing his life to finding ways to offer relief to those who suffer. He understands that the C-1 must be manually pushed back in place (through his adjustment), and that it has to be done several times a week. Other chiropractors and doctors might understand the adjustment, but not the frequency (related to muscle memory). Not only do his theories and methods make sense on a logical, scientific level, but I KNOW they work b/c I've seen the results (my boyfriend and his mom). They are BRAND-NEW people, with new lives! It's amazing, and I encourage anyone who may suffer from FMS, knows anyone who has FMS or is just plain interested to pick up this book!

this book helped my wife understand this condition and also how to deal with it,....very well written in easy to understand english...WELL DONE!!!!!

I'm so glad to see Dr. Whitcomb's book. It explains his own journey through fibromyalgia, and his observations and studies over the years, as well as the treatment method he developed to help us fibro sufferers. It's been two years since I was treated by him, and I have my health again. No more screaming in my sleep to wake myself up. I can run upstairs instead of taking them in two stages. I can walk and bike and dance again. Before, 5 or 6 steps hurt so much I thought I would vomit. I took no drugs, and take none now. Just glandular support to correct the years of wear and tear that fibro incurs.
If you or a loved one suffers from this devastating condition, buy this book, read it all, and find out for yourself if this doctor can help you. He really explains the "why" and "how" of both the most common cause of fibro and the way to correct it. I've not found anybody else doing what he does, and I've looked at lots of other doctors and tried their programs. This treatment works!
Note to sceptics: If someone can't be helped, they will be very angry and spew venom everywhere. But some people just won't be helped, and "by their deeds you shall know them." Don't let their disappointment color YOUR world. Each of us is unique, and can learn for ourselves what is true. There are some people that would burn you at the stake for trying to help them. Maybe that's why they suffer like they do, it's a warning to the rest of us to stay away from them. Make your own decision. I did, and I'm well. Best wishes.

If visiting his web site did not convince FMS sufferes he's the real deal, the book, which is a quick read, will be a great back up to the info at [...]. I'm currently 4 weeks into treatment and my life is changing for the better with each passing day. This from a woman who was thinking it was time to bid my life goodby. Now I say HELLO to the new me and thank our God above for giving me a future via these wonderful doctors.....chiropractors. I have never read a more important book in my life and I don't hesitate in recommending it to anyone who suffers with FMS. If you are a lite sufferer, I can tell you so was I, until this last Oct when I was knocked down with every symptom imaginal, and no relief from any of it, even under a doctors care. All I can say, is prepare yourself for the future and think pre-emptive. Betty

[...] If you are suffering from Fibromyalgia, you need to read this book. Because of his discovery, I have my life back.

First off, this book is wonderful, I highly recommened it for you or anyone who suffers from Fibromyalgia!


I gave my Mom my copy of this book, when I came back from Dr. Whitcomb's treatment. My Mom called me, about a week later, in tears. I asked her "Mom what is wrong?" she said "I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible Mother, I did not realize how bad you were hurting and all that you were going through, until I read Dr. Whitcomb's book." I told her she wasn't a terrible Mother, and I hope that she will be able to go through the treatment, too, because she has many of the symptoms that I suffered from, too. I was glad that she, was finally able to see what I suffered with for so many years and to put a name on what she was suffering from.


This book describes, in terms that anyone can understand, how Dr. Whitcomb has found that, in most Fibromyalgia cases, there is some relation to the C-1 vertebrae (Atlas) being out of place and pushing on the spinal cord, which causes many varied symptoms. There are several ways that your C-1 could have been pushed out of place, here are just a few: the forceps from birth; an auto or sporting accident; a fall; abuse; trauma; someone grabbing you by your neck or throat; a head injury; a surgery or countless other ways your spine could have experienced a trauma. Not all of the patients can remember a "specific" trauma, but most of the patients can clearly remember a trauma that triggered their Fibromyalgia symptoms, which slowly got worse and worse, before they went through Dr. Whitcomb's treatment.


Here are just a few of the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, not every patient has all of these, but some patients have all of these and more: chronic/extreme fatigue; IBS (irritable bowel syndrome); heavy head (difficult to hold your head up), brain fog (Fibro Fog), extreme muscle pain (trigger points); migraines/headaches; chest pain (because some ribs may be out of place, but please do get your heart checked just to rule out heart trouble); trouble breathing (shortness of breath); pelvic pain; decreased labido; skin sensitivity; facial pain; eye or ear pain; TMJ/jaw pain; tooth pain; tingling or numbness in the extremeties (due to pinched nerves); anxiety; depression; insomnia (due to the fact that your sympathetic nervous system is on overload and won't shut off, due to the CHRONIC PAIN, so the body is releasing adrenaline all of the time to help with the pain, this is why it is hard to rest until you are completely exhausted and simply colapse from exhaustion. Please read this book or check out Dr. Whitcomb's Website at: [...], to find out more about the nervous system and how it is affected and more.


I would like to note that you will read that Dr. Paul Whitcomb suffered with Fibromyalgia, himself. From his own experience and his patient's, he has developed and refined his treatment over the years. Plus, due to the fact that he suffered with "Fibro" he understands and sympathizes with the patients who walk into his clinic. It is so nice to walk into his clinic and know that he is not going to tell you "that it is all in your head" or "snap out of it" or "get over it" or "deal with it". These are all things that medical doctors have told me and countless other Fibromyalgia sufferers. Dr. Whitcomb is very caring and has a wonderful outlook on doing all he can to get his patients well, that it is awe-inspiring. Dr. Whitcomb refused to believe that he and other patients would have to "live with Fibromyalgia" for the rest of their lives. So, he worked long and hard to develope the "Whitcomb Technique". If you ask me, suffering is not "really" living. There is HOPE in Dr. Whitcomb's book and with his treatment.


As for me, I refused to believe that I would suffer with Fibromyalgia for the rest of my life. I kept looking for a doctor whom did not have that "deal with it for the rest of your life" mindset and who wouldn't quit until they helped me get better. Dr. Whitcomb was that doctor, or I should say, Chiropractor.


Dr. Whitcomb has developed a technique that is fairly new to the chiropractic world, he is just now starting to train other doctors on the "Whitcomb Technique". Not only is his adjustment "technique" different, but he adjusts the patient's neck (cervical spine) 14 times a week for the first 4-5 weeks, he then works on the back, ribs, TMJ or other problem areas including your neck, for the rest of your treatment. Whether it be another 3 weeks or more, depending on your recovery. He adjusts the spine several times a day to help keep your spine in line and build "muscle memory" of the "correct" position your spine should be in. If you go to your chiropractor they probably will not even know what you are talking about, when you mention the Whitcomb Technique, or even believe in this treatment. I am so glad that I went through Dr. Whitcomb's treatment, despite the reservations of my hometown chiropractor. I would, also, like to state that my chiropractor is, now, a believer in Dr. Whitcomb's treatment, since I have come back from the treatment.


I stumbled onto Dr. Whitcomb's website 3 years ago, I listened to the patient testimonials; researched it, read his book when it came out, and prayed hard for the funds to go through the treatment (this was before he had finacing available). Well, all of that paid off. Just this year, I went through Dr. Paul Whitcomb's treatment, yeah! I highly recommend his treatment to anyone who is suffering with Fibromyalgia. I saw many many miracles in the 9 weeks I was at the Fibromyalgia Relief Center, in South Lake Tahoe, not to mention my own miracles. I saw a lady who came to the clinic in a wheel chair and breathing with an oxygen bottle, after about 8-9 weeks of treatment she was walking around without assistance from a walker or cane. Her treatment has taken longer than the usual 8-10 weeks, but she has made a miraculous recovery, already. I am so thankful to Dr. Whitcomb and his treatment and for giving me my life back.


I am so glad that he has written this book to help get the word out about this "revolutionary" treatment and the fact that there is hope for Fibromyalgia sufferers around the world. There are several examples of these miracles on Dr. Whitcomb's website at [...], please check them out for yourself. All of the testimonials in the book and on Dr. Whitcomb's website are true and factual. No patient was coached on what to say, they all told the truth about how they felt and how the treatment helped them in their recovery.


For those people, whom are writing negative comments about Dr. Whitcomb, it doesn't look like any of them, actually, went through the treatment themselves. If they did they would, also, have seen the successs stories at the clinic, first hand and known that the treatment works, in most cases. So, they really have no room to be critiical. So, be wary of someone who is criticizing something without ever doing it, themselves.
I will say, the treatment does not work the same in every case, but I have seen many more people get better, than those that have not.


Some "tough cases" do take longer than 8-10 weeks, but most do get better, as long as they stick with the treatment and follow Doc's rules and recommendations, to keep their spine in line. I must say, it is not an easy treatment or recovery. Patients should not expect to "instantly" get better without pain and work. But if they go through the treatment, as Dr. Whitcomb recommends, then they should get better. This treatment works: if you work at it; follow all of the "rules" and have a good family or friend support system, to help you in the six month "tighten up" period, after treatment.


I highly recommend this treatment for you or anyone you know who suffers with Fibromyalgia. If you go to Dr. Whitcomb's website you can call the "contact" number to find out if Dr. Whitcomb will be holding a "free" seminar close to where you live. It would be there that he can perform his simple 90 second test on you, a friend or loved one for "free", in order to see if his treatment would work for you. Or you could just take a leap of faith, like I did, and just make arrangements to come to the clinic for treatment and get tested your first day there.Dr. Whitcomb does have a "financing" program if you do not have the money, up front. It is well worth it and more to get your life back, trust me.


May you find peace and healing in whatever you decide to do about your suffering. I can tell, you are a believer in Dr. Whitcomb's technique, otherwise you would have stopped reading by now. That's what it takes to get well: have hope; persevere, and believe. Help others to believe in Dr. Whitcomb's treatment, the world needs more people like you, who have faith in something new and are not afraid to take a leap of faith.

Thank you. Kim C.

I read this book and could not put it down. I recommend that everyone with backpain, neckpain, doesn't sleep well, or simply has fibromyalgia or thinks they might have fibromyalgia reads this book. Its a life saver!!!