Dr. Mary Ann Block teaches alternatives to mainstream ADHD treatments for childr

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http://www.newstarget.com/011746.html

 

Dr. Mary Ann Block teaches alternatives to mainstream ADHD treatments

for children and adults

 

 

Dr. Mary Ann Block teaches alternatives to mainstream ADHD treatments

for children and adults

Imagine a woman who went to medical school at age 39 to save her

daughter from drugs wrongly prescribed for bladder infections. Imagine

a woman who, armed with her new medical degree, decided to challenge

decades of mainstream medical views on attention deficit disorder,

autism and ear and respiratory infections. I'm not talking about a

fictional heroine here: Meet Dr. Mary Ann Block, bestselling author

and founder of the internationally-renowned Block Center.

 

The Block Center is the epitome of osteopathic medicine in action. The

osteopathic philosophy states that " the body has an inherent ability

to heal itself. " With this in mind, the Block Center gets to the real

roots of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism spectrum

disorders and other " psychiatric labels " and then helps the child or

adult's body to naturally heal itself. As Dr. Block says, these labels

that we call " diseases " are actually symptoms, rather than psychiatric

disorders requiring medication.

 

" If you've got heavy metal toxicity, then you don't have autism, you

have the symptoms caused by heavy metal toxicity. If you have

allergies or blood sugar problems affecting your behavior, you don't

have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The diagnoses

should be allergies and hypoglycemia, so there's a lot of misdiagnosis

going on. The doctors are not spending the time to find out what's

really going on with these kids, " Dr. Block said in a phone interview.

 

These misdiagnoses then add to the children's problems, rather than

relieving them. Instead of receiving treatment for their real

disorders -- whether they are food allergies, hypoglycemia or heavy

metal toxicity -- mainstream doctors put children diagnosed with ADHD,

for example, on Ritalin and other pharmaceutical drugs. These

pharmaceuticals keep children subdued in the classroom and at home,

but as Dr. Block cautions, a quieter, medicated child isn't

necessarily a child who is learning better. For example, let's say a

child who is allergic to chocolate is medicated with an ADHD drug but

is still eating chocolate, the child will still have difficulty

concentrating and paying attention, even though he or she is no longer

" acting out. "

 

By contrast, the Block Center treats the underlying problems behind

attention and behavior disorders, autism spectrum disorders, asthma,

fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders and many more, rather than just

covering up the symptoms. The Block Center gives parents the

opportunity to reside at hotels near the Dallas-Fort Worth center and

fully immerse themselves in finding and treating the real problems

behind their child's (or their own) difficulties. For attention and

behavioral problems, for example, the Block Center offers a four-day,

comprehensive program that involves the physician, parents and of

course the young patients themselves. This program uses patient

evaluations -- such as allergy testing, mercury testing and blood

analysis -- to discover what physical problem is negatively affecting

the patient's behavior. Then, once the physician finds the real

problem, the family can learn real solutions, such as diet changes or

removing mercury and other heavy metals from the patient's body.

 

Though the Block Center offers treatment solutions, Dr. Block sagely

advises that prevention is always more effective than treatment.

Furthermore, the younger you start protecting your child from the

environmental toxins that are responsible for the current high

incidence of autism spectrum and attention-behavioral disorders, the

more successful your preventative measures will be.

 

In fact, the most successful prevention program will start at birth.

According to a 1994 Pediatrics article written by Professor Tracey J.

Woodruff, et al., between three and eight percent of all babies born

in the United States per year will someday be affected by the disease

we know as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders or mental retardation.

Those statistics are unfortunately high, but thanks to the advice of

Dr. Block and other experts, here are some ways you can prevent your

baby from being one of them.

 

1. Breastfeed -- Not only is breastfeeding the most economical way of

feeding your baby, it's also the healthiest. According to Dr. Block,

nursing your baby during his or her first year of life will

drastically reduce your child's risk of developing food allergies,

which are a common cause of behavioral problems such as ADHD.

 

2. Educate yourself about vaccinations -- School and health officials

often give parents the impression that they are required to vaccinate

their children; yet, according to the laws of many states, this is not

the case. The sad fact is that known neurotoxins like mercury and

other heavy metals are used in many childrens' vaccines and may likely

be linked to autism spectrum disorders and ADHD. By educating yourself

about the pros and cons of these diseases, you can make an informed

decision about whether or not your children should be vaccinated.

 

3. Provide your children with nutritional supplements -- Nutritional

deficiencies can result in problems with attention and behavior,

according to Dr. Block.

 

4. Make sure that your child takes part in physical activity requiring

hand-eye coordination -- Dr. Block and countless other experts agree

that physical activity is essential to a child's development, a factor

that is often undermined by watching television excessively.

 

5. Eat organic food -- Exposure to pesticides can seriously damage

your child's nervous system. Cows' milk is especially risky due to its

levels of DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, antibiotics

and recombinant bovine growth hormone. It should be avoided, unless

your child only drinks rBGH-free organic skim milk.

 

6. Beware of lead -- According to Professor Woodruff of the EPA's

article on environmentally-induced childhood diseases, lead exposure

is linked to hyperactivity, impulsivity and attention problems -- in

other words, the symptoms commonly attributed to ADHD.

 

7. Avoid pesticide use in the home -- According to a federal study

reported by Kathleen Fackelmann in USA Today, children have twice the

body levels of chlorpyrifos as adults, probably because of the amount

of time they play on the floor. Chlorpyrifos is a type of insecticide

that is linked to nervous system damage.

 

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, remember that

pharmaceutical drugs aren't the only solution available. Dr. Block's

newly updated book, No More ADHD, will show you the 10 steps you can

take to improve " ADHD " symptoms without pharmaceutical drugs. For

additional information on the Block Center, including how to schedule

an appointment, please visit The Block Center's web site.

 

Sources:

 

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.

" Dr. Block is an Osteopathic Physician, " About the Block Center, The

Block Center

 

" If you've got heavy metal toxicity, then you don't have autism, you

have the symptoms caused by heavy metal toxicity. If you have

allergies or blood sugar problems affecting your behavior, you don't

have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The diagnoses

should be allergies and hypoglycemia, so there's a lot of misdiagnosis

going on. The doctors are not spending the time to find out what's

really going on with these kids. "

Phone interview with Dr. Mary Ann Block. Aug. 22, 2005.

 

Mercury is a known neuro-toxin which can cross the blood brain barrier

and concentrate in the brain. Alarming amounts of mercury are used in

children's vaccines. Many parents report first seeing their child's

autistic symptoms after a vaccination. The U.S. Public Health Service

and The American Academy of Pediatrics support the FDA`s directive to

eliminate mercury (Thimerosal) from vaccines. At The Block Center, we

evaluate for the presence of mercury and other heavy metals, then

remove the metals.

Dr. Mary Ann Block's Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorders, The Block

Center

 

Researchers estimate that between 3 percent and 8 percent of the

infants born each year in the United States are or will be affected by

neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD), mental retardation, or autism. Neurodevelopmental

disorders may result from exposure of the fetus or young child to

environmental contaminants. A child's brain is vulnerable to adverse

impacts from some environmental toxicants during its developmental

process.

" Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Illnesses " by Prof.

Tracey J. Woodruff, et al, Pediatrics April 2004, pages 1135-36

 

Whole Milk - (eg. Borden or Lucerne)

Unlabeled Toxic Ingredients

DDT, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.

DIELDRIN, Carcinogenic; xenoestrogen.

HEPTACHLOR, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; reproductive toxin; xenoestrogen.

HEXACHLOROBENZENE, Carcinogenic; neurotoxic; reproductive toxin.

ANTIBIOTICS: Some are carcinogenic, cause allergies and drug resistance.

RECOMBINANT BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE and IGF-1: Also, risk factor for

breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Safer Alternative:

rBGH-free Organic skim milk

" The 'Dirty Dozen' Consumer Products, " Avoidable Exposures: Consumers

by the Cancer Prevention Coalition, 1995. The Cancer Prevention Coalition

 

As noted above, studies have found relationships between behavioral

problems -- including attention problems, hyperactivity, and

impulsivity -- and exposures to lead and PCBs.

" Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Illnesses " by Prof.

Tracey J. Woodruff, et al, Pediatrics April 2004, pages 1137

 

The CDC report identified higher-than-expected levels of an

insecticide called chlorpyrifos in kids. Children had body levels of

chlorpyrifos that were twice as high as adults, a finding that raised

a red flag for environmental health expert Lynn Goldman of Johns

Hopkins University in Baltimore. Chlorpyrifos has been linked to

nervous system damage. Children get higher levels in their bodies

because they play on the floor, where insecticides settle after being

applied in the home, Goldman says.

" Toxin Study Raises Alarm about Levels in Kids' Blood " by Kathleen

Fackelmann, USA Today 2/3/2003, page 14B

 

Overview:

 

* Dr. Mary Ann Block teaches alternatives to mainstream ADHD

treatments for children and adults

 

Source: http://www.newstarget.com/011746.html