The Back to Health Program is the flagship of the Whitaker Wellness Institute. When Dr. Whitaker opened the clinic more than 35 years ago, his goal was to create a comfortable, personal, pleasant environment in which small groups of patients could get together, practice a healthy lifestyle, receive treatment with safe, noninvasive therapies—and get back on the road to optimal health.
Lifestyle Changes and Education
A Casual, Healing Environment
Physical Evaluation and Testing
Unique Therapies
A Typical Week at the Program
In order to get a better feel for the Back to Health Program, here’s an overview of a typical week.
Sunday: You will arrive on Sunday, check in at the hotel, and get settled.
Monday Morning: You’ll report for a blood draw first thing in the morning at the hotel. After breakfast and a brief welcome, you will head over to the clinic, which is about a mile away, in the complimentary shuttle that runs back and forth between the clinic and the hotel. There is a lot of testing the first day: a complete physical examination, blood tests, exercise stress test, and whatever else your doctor orders. You will also begin the therapies your physician recommends and participate in the Back to Health educational activities in the Whitaker Room at the clinic.
Monday-Friday: Mornings begin bright and early with an exercise class led by our certified exercise therapist. Following breakfast at the hotel, you will take the shuttle to the clinic, where you’ll spend most of the day. Organized activities, which take place in the Whitaker Room at the clinic, include physician lectures, roundtables and Q&As by our professional staff, nutrition workshops, video viewings, wellness walks, stress-reduction sessions, and other activities. Most patients spend the bulk of the day at the clinic undergoing treatment. Your goal is to get well, and these therapies dramatically accelerate healing. You will have a follow-up visit with your physician to make sure you’re on track and to clear up any questions you might have. You’ll also get to know the Whitaker Wellness staff—our greatest resource—and the other patients. Everyone is in the same boat, going in the same direction, with the same goal: to regain their health. You may be surprised how rapidly friendships grow and how quickly a positive group spirit is created. Lunch will be serve at the clinic, and you’ll return to the hotel for dinner.
During this time, patients typically begin noticing improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight. Pain subsides, energy returns, and people who couldn’t walk across the street without difficulty are often walking to the hotel and back. The information from lectures and workshops starts to sink in, and enthusiasm and commitment to the program is high. Patients who are staying for one week have their final meeting with their physician, and they work together to create a game plan for after they return home.
Significant strides have been made, and medications have been discarded. New goals have been set, and close friendships have been formed. Patients are ready to leave the clinic not only feeling better physically, but also with hope and confidence that their health will continue to improve.
Saturday: One-weekers eat breakfast at the hotel, pack up, and return home. Those who are staying for two or three weeks may have scheduled treatments in the morning, but for the remainder of the weekend have some free time to enjoy the beautiful weather and sights of Orange County.
Dr. Whitaker's Observations
“After watching more than 50,000 patients go through the Back to Health Program, I have noticed some general trends over the years.
“Almost everyone is a little skeptical when they first arrive because the Whitaker Wellness Institute doesn’t feel like a hospital or fit the general picture of a medical program. However, most are convinced that this approach makes a lot of sense and have decided before their arrival to give it a try. And as they meet the other members of the group and talk about why they came and what they hope to get out of the program, they begin to make friends rapidly.
“After the first two days the mood is considerably lighter. Information in the seminars convinces patients of the benefits of the therapies and lifestyle changes. Some are already noticing improvements, such as less angina, lower blood sugar, or better endurance. Friendships are becoming stronger. Even though each person comes from a different walk of life and will return to such, they’re all learning the same thing: how to alter their lives in key areas to regain and maintain their health. This is fertile ground for camaraderie.
“Toward the end of the first week, the routine has been established and patients now concentrate on improvements. Seminars continue to provide more information and serve to reinforce each patient’s commitment to the program. There is a sense of enthusiasm and a marked change in attitude.
“First, fear, which often immobilizes patients and makes them feel even worse, is replaced with a resolve to lick the problem. Patients who choose a program such as ours are not deluded about the seriousness of their health concerns. Quite the contrary. They understand their conditions even more clearly, but they now have a plan of action, a way of addressing these dangers head on.
“Second, the lifestyle changes are no longer viewed as arduous or impossible. Patients come to view the program as an opportunity, a challenge even, to overcome their health problems, and as they do, they develop an increased respect for their bodies and ultimately for themselves. Health now becomes a high priority, and the program of diet, exercise, and supplementation gives them the tools to achieve it.
“Third, and most important, patients are no longer passive recipients of medications prescribed by a physician and left in the dark about their condition or what they can do about it. They are now active partners in their health care. In the final analysis, these changes in attitude are essential for any long term success, and the structured environment, regulated activities, and group interaction during the Back to Health Program at the Whitaker Wellness Institute are designed to effect them.”
— Julian Whitaker, MD
One-Stop Shop for Wellness
At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we’re proud to offer nearly two dozen safe, innovative, healing therapies under one roof—that’s more than any other facility in the northern hemisphere. Just think of us as your “one-stop shop for wellness.”
To learn more about how these innovative therapies and treatments can help restore your health and vitality during your stay at our Back to Health Program, click on the buttons below to schedule a complimentary consultation or contact us to learn more. You can also schedule your complimentary consultation or obtain more information by calling our Patient Services Representatives at (866) 944-8253.
