Copes Method,Quackery?

[babygrand07]

Has anyone heard of a doctor Santilly? I guess he worked for Copes and then saw how corrupt he was and then broke off to run his own practice. Does he hold to the same kind of progra?

[Mobee211]

I agree...most of these chiro (natural) ways to cure scoliosis are a load of bunk. I was going to go woth Dr. Woggon at the Clear Institute until I learned that he did not accept any insurance of any kind AND that his email was an aol.com address.....something suspicious there. I also read that the supposed reduction in curves were do to incorrect measurements of cobb angles and by having patients breath in deeply for the intiial (pre threatment) xray and then having patients hold their breath and not break (lungs devoid of air) for the post xray...of course this would show a decrease in curve...but not a legitimate decrease!!

[scoliocolorado]

I was a patient of Arthur Copes

I was a patient of Arthur Copes back in 1999 to 2001 or 2002, when I was in my teens. I wore several braces throughout my treatment in this program. Most of the braces I wore did what they were supposed to do, correct my spine. The last one I wore made my back worse. My experience with Arthur Copes was not very positive. I did not like him for one second. Arthur Copes was rude and he was definitely not a people person. One time, at one of my appointments, he told my mother, as I sat there listening, that if I did not cooperate and wear the brace, she could hit me in the face and that would get me to comply. I have lung capacity issues that do not have anything to do with scoliosis and the brace made that situation worse. I had trouble breathing and I felt constricted. Also, when my mother asked any questions about the brace's effects my lungs, Copes did not answer them and changed the subject. After I found out that Copes was a quack, my family and I did a lot of research on him and his legal situation. Unfortunately, because he did not physically harm me, I do not have a case.

There are other treatment options out there, which I am exploring. I found one treatment method that has been working very well for me.

[flerc]

Scoliocolorado, I'm interested to know about that treatment method.. if you want to talk anout it.

[lindsayspine]

I know this is an old thread, but I am seeking to talk to other people who wore the Copes brace. I only recently found out that Arthur Copes was a fraud. When I was 13, Copes told me that his other patients didn't think the brace was painful, and that if it wasn't working for me, I must not be adhering to the protocol. Yet I was suffering physically and emotionally because my parents adhered pretty strictly to his "protocol," and I now wonder if it was all arbitrary. I started brace treatment with two curves greater than 30 degrees, complicated by Arnold Chiari Malformation that had not yet been resolved, and ultimately had spinal fusion surgery about seven years later.

I'm disturbed that Copes could have potentially harmed hundreds of children for what was not even a very effective scam. If you're going to steal money from people as your career, it seems like there are ways to do that without inflicting pain on the bodies of young kids. What's most concerning is that now, after being released from prison, Copes is operating a scam "naturopath" practice using another fake degree he bought from a correspondence school. He's still taking advantage of medically desparate people.

https://www.biowellnesscenter.com/meet-our-team

I'm a journalist by profession and I'm hoping to write a story to expose him. I don't think it's right that the first search results for his name are his professional profile and business website declaring that he has decades of experience helping people. I'd like to change that. That said, I'm interested in hearing from anyone who had experience with the Copes brace, positive or negative. I've felt mostly alone in my experience, and I want to connect with others, whether or not they're interested in being interviewed for the article I plan to write. If you or someone you know would like to talk, please reach out.

- Lindsay

[LindaRacine]

Yikes! This guy needs to be taken down. This site is pretty much dead, but there are several Facebook scoliosis sites. Hope you'll check those out.