About Dr. Mary Ann Block
Dr. Bloc
k was compelled to go to medical school at the age of 39 to save her daughter after doctors made the child ill with inappropriate use of drugs for bladder infections. Today her daughter is a healthy adult as a result of her mother's determination and devotion. Dr. Block was honored by the Ladies` Home Journal and The Lifetime Channel for helping her daughter in such an inspirational way.
As Medical Director of The Block Center in the Dallas area, an international clinic for adults and children with chronic health problems, Dr. Block now offers other parents the same kind of health care she desperately needed for her own child.
A tireless advocate for children, Dr. Block has been traveling the country speaking to parent and professional groups and at legislative hearings on the dangers of the psychiatric drugging of our children.
- Dr. Block Chairs The Health and Empowerment Committee for The National Foundation for Women Legislators.
- Dr. Block has served as a peer reviewer for the Agency for Health-Care Policy and Research and the American Academy of Pediatrics for the diagnosis and treatment of ear problems.
- She holds a clinical faculty appointment at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and she served on the faculty as assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Dr. Block was the recipient of the Wayne O. Stockseth Award for Osteopathic Excellence, has served on the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Osteopathy and was selected for Who's Who in Healthcare in Tarrant County by The Tarrant County Business Press and is a member of Leadership Texas.
- Dr. Block has been featured on the CBS news show, 48 Hours, MSNBC's Scarborough Country, and The Montel Williams Show, and interviewed on CNN News, NBC`s Home Page, Fox Network News, TBN, and The Today Show in New York as well as such magazines as Better Homes and Gardens and radio and newspapers across the country.
“DO’s are physicians treating people, not just symptoms.”
American Osteopathic Association
DO’s (Doctors of Osteopathic medicine) are fully licensed physicians in all 50 states. Osteopathy is a system of medical care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with current practice of medicine, surgery and obstetrics, and emphasis on the interrelationships between structure and function, and an appreciation of the body’s ability to heal itself.”
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the osteopathic profession, the following will tell you about us:
“Osteopathic medicine is a philosophy of health care and a distinctive art, supported by expanding scientific knowledge; its philosophy embraces the concept of the unity of the living organism’s structure (anatomy) and function (physiology). Its art is the application of the philosophy in the practice of medicine and surgery in all its branches and specialties. Its science includes the behavioral, chemical, physical, spiritual and biological knowledge related to the establishment and maintenance of health as well as the prevention and alleviation of disease. Osteopathic concepts emphasize the following principles:
- The human being is a dynamic unit of function.
- The body possesses self-regulatory mechanisms which are self-healing in nature.
- Structure and function are interrelated at all levels
- Rational treatment is based on these principles.
During my search, I found an osteopathic physician who called himself a "medical detective." I didn't know much about his profession but I decided to call him. I told him that I would be in charge of my daughter's care and that he would have to listen to me because I knew my daughter best. He told me he wouldn't have it any other way. That moment marked the beginning of the road back to good health for Michelle. This doctor explained that osteopathic medicine centers on the belief that the body, given the proper tools, can heal itself. Not only was this approach refreshing, it gave me the first glimmer of hope I had felt since Michelle's ordeal began. This osteopathic physician offered me options and support rather than another prescription. He looked for the underlying causes of Michelle's health problems, respected my input, and shared his information with me.
This doctor showed me a new and more rational way to practice medicine. I was optimistic about this approach. I wanted so much to regain my confidence in medicine, but I was still afraid and guarded. I felt that I needed to know what doctors know in order to protect my family. I decided to become an osteopathic physician. So at the age of 39, out of self-defense and for the sole purpose of protecting my family, I entered osteopathic medical school.
The osteopathic philosophy states, "The body has an inherent ability to heal itself." This concept is certainly not unique; Hippocrates said it too. Occasionally, the body needs some help. But often, if the body has the right nutrients, exercise, and healthy food and water, it will take care of itself. Even when the body does get sick, it can usually get itself well. We have a wonderful immune system that, when left to do its own fighting, will usually work quite well.
As osteopathic physicians, DO’s (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine), we learn healing can be accomplished by using something other than drugs and surgery. It is osteopathic manipulation treatment(OMT). In addition to what is taught in MD schools, the Osteopathic schools also teach approximately 150 course hours on the musculo-skeletal system and the use of OMT. This century-old treatment has been used effectively for more than just structural problems, such as a "bad back." OMT has saved lives. Before there were antibiotics, many people died of flu and other infections. Osteopathic physicians used OMT to help boost the patient's immune system and to aid the body in fighting off the infection. During the deadly Swine Flu epidemic in the early 1900's, the death rate for patients of osteopathic physicians who used OMT was much lower than those of MDs.
The first time I learned about the benefits of OMT was many years ago when my young daughter was experiencing a severe allergic reaction to mosquito bites. Her legs would become very swollen and she would actually need crutches to help her walk because of the pain. This happened almost every time she was bitten and it would take days for the swelling and pain to resolve. During one of these episodes, I took her to an osteopathic physician who said she needed OMT to help reduce the swelling and to assist the body in removing the toxins from her system. He explained that it was a gentle procedure so I decided to try it. He was very gentle and so was the treatment and it was remarkably effective. The swelling began to reduce almost immediately and within hours of the treatment was gone. During medical school, I worked hard at learning OMT. I knew I wanted to use it in my practice and I have, with excellent results.
In medical school, we also learned about the Osteopathic Philosophy, "the body has an inherent ability to heal itself." Sometimes the body needs assistance to do its job. That's when, as an osteopathic physician, I help remove barriers to healing and support the body in its work. Although I do prescribe drugs when needed, I don't just prescribe them to cover symptoms except in acute cases and for short periods of time. My goal is to help each patient find and treat the underlying cause of their symptoms. Simply treating symptoms does not solve the problem in the long run. There is too great a likelihood that the problem will return. By just treating the symptoms we end up with chronic health problems that never seem to go away.
Leaning both OMT and the Osteopathic Philosophy has helped me to see illness differently. In addition to looking for the underlying causes of illnesses, I learned to use my hands to help the body to work better and to heal. I use only the gentle techniques that involve working with soft tissues such as connective tissues and the muscles. Osteopathic physicians can use their hands to help the body's nervous, vascular and immune systems to better function. This wonderful approach has many applications today.
I find that most of the children who are diagnosed with ADHD also have had chronic ear and respiratory infections. These chronic infections affect how a child feels and acts and can definitely affect learning ability. This is particularly true of children who have chronic ear infections. The fluid in the ears can impair hearing, which can delay development and limit learning. Children with allergies suffer from congestion even when they do not have an infection. Either way, the child is simply not at his or her best a great deal of the time. No one does their best work when they don't feel well. I developed a special osteopathic manipulation treatment that not only helps drain the fluid from the ears, head and sinuses, but also helps the immune system work better. My patients report that their children appear more “clear-headed” after the treatment.
