Written by: Dr. Justin Dick, DC Clinical focus: Non-surgical scoliosis evaluation, spinal biomechanics, and radiographic analysis Organization: Clear Life Scoliosis And Chiropractic Center Published: April 12, 2026 Last updated: April 12, 2026 Medically reviewed: April 12, 2026 Reviewed by: Corrine Holdridge, M.S.
How This Started
John Whelan was a business major at The Catholic University of America in Washington when he began designing a medical device in his dorm room. Drawing on his own experience as a college football player who had benefited from chiropractic care, Whelan wanted to find a way to make scoliosis treatment more accessible to patients who could not travel for in-person consultations.
He cold-called Dr. Justin Dick, our lead clinician here at Clear Life Scoliosis And Chiropractic Center in North Carolina.
What started as a shadowing opportunity became a year-long collaboration.
What the Device Does
The protocol at Clear Life already included a counterweight-based approach that uses a patient's own body weight to help straighten the spine and strengthen supporting muscles — in brief daily sessions, from home.
The challenge was that each device had to be custom-built for each patient, making it difficult to scale and impossible for patients who could not travel to receive it.
Whelan and Dr. Dick formed an LLC called Skolios and spent over a year designing a device that could be adapted to a wide range of patient heights, mass-produced, and sold directly to doctors at a fraction of the cost of standard scoliosis treatment.
One patient achieved a 10-degree reduction in their scoliosis curve in just two months using the approach.
"This is revolutionary. He will change people's lives." — Dr. Justin Dick, DC
From a Dorm Room to a Provisional Patent
Early prototypes included an airplane seatbelt, cargo poles, and a fencepost component. Whelan knew the concept worked. He needed space, engineering support, and funding to take it further.
Through the Venture Lab at Catholic University's Busch School of Business and the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, Whelan received a summer fellowship, access to a biomedical engineering makerspace, 3D printing capabilities, connections to a patent attorney, and a nationwide alumni investor network.
The device now holds a provisional patent. Whelan has completed the third beta test model, is pitching to investors, and is beginning chiropractic school. The clinical results are being prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed medical journal.
What This Means for Our Patients
At Clear Life Scoliosis And Chiropractic Center, we have always approached scoliosis as a whole-spine pattern — not just a curve number. This collaboration reflects what that commitment looks like in practice: working to develop tools that give patients real, measurable options outside of surgery.
If Skolios reaches the market, it could give doctors across the country access to a noninvasive, home-based option that produces meaningful structural results at a cost that is accessible to more patients.
We will share updates on the publication and device development as they become available.
Learn More
To understand how we evaluate and approach scoliosis at Clear Life, start with these pages:
Understanding your scoliosis pattern — https://www.clearlifescoliosis.com/scoliosis-pattern/ Can scoliosis get worse? — https://www.clearlifescoliosis.com/scoliosis-progression-and-compensation/ Conservative care for scoliosis — https://www.clearlifescoliosis.com/scoliosis-conservative-care/ Scoliosis Research Hub — https://www.clearlifescoliosis.com/scoliosis-research-hub/
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