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MISSION IS TO EDUCATE THE WORLD ON THE LIFE-CHANGING EFFECTS
OF PROLOTHERAPY |
Those of us in the field
of Prolotherapy owe a great debt to Dr. Tom Dorman, whose
work and dedication to the field of Prolotherapy and
Orthopedic Medicine paved the way for many to follow.
We mourn his loss, but celebrate his life and life-work.
The following is a memorial written by Dr. Richard Gracer.
From all involved in the Journal of Prolotherapy®
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JOP
DEDICATION
In Memory of Thomas Dorman, MD
Richard Gracer, MD |
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| Thomas Dorman, MD. |
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I was shocked and dismayed, as were all of us who
knew him, to hear of the death of my dear friend
and colleague, Thomas Dorman, MD on March 10, 2009
at the age of 72. Tom was one of the most influential
and important persons that I have had the honor to
know. The news sent me reeling and back to many memories
of the times and events that we shared. I cried,
and between the tears I felt his presence, as I often
do. When I see a difficult patient or come across
an ethical dilemma, Tom is in my thoughts. He had
an invariable scientific honesty and moral compass
that often helps to see the best course of action.
Many know his name, but may not really know who he
was and what he stood for. Many have read his prolific
writings and have gained from his insights, but may
not know where they came from or the thought process
behind them.
Tom was born in Kenya, while it was still under British
rule. His father was a coffee merchant. When Kenya
gained its independence, Tom’s family moved to Israel.
He was in the Israeli army in a paratroop unit during
the 1956 war. He attended the University of Liverpool
and although his father wanted him to be a businessman,
he then went on to medical school in Edinburgh. |
He
moved his family to Canada where he began practice
as an internist and cardiologist.
In 1978 he moved to San Luis Obispo on
the central California coast where he practiced until
1996 when he moved to the Seattle area to work with Jonathon
Wright, MD at the Tahoma clinic. A few years later Tom
opened the Paracelsus Clinic in Federal Way, Washington
were he practiced until his death. Those are the facts,
While practicing cardiology Tom often saw patients with
chest pain that was neither cardiac nor gastrointestinal.
The diagnosis in these cases can often be obscure. Tom
searched for other causes and found that many of these
patients had musculoskeletal pain. He studied with James
Cyriax, MD, the late British physician who is considered
by many to be the “Father of Orthopaedic Medicine.” Dr.
Cyriax developed a systematic diagnostic method to quickly
and reliably find the exact tissue source of musculoskeletal
pain. This study started Tom on his life long interest
in furthering our understanding of and treating these
problems. Tom became interested in ligaments as a source
of tissue pain, a much overlooked problem. In 1994 Tom,
with important contributions in radiology from Tom Ravin,
MD, published his textbook, Diagnosis
and Injection Techniques in Orthopedic Medicine on Prolotherapy. This was the
first book that combined Cyriax’s orthopedic principles
with the treatment of ligamentous problems. Tom is not
only famous for the concepts he developed, but for his
logical methods and his amazing ability to “connect the
dots.” He saw patterns that everyone else missed. I would
often have an “aha” moment when I would think about what
he would tell me. When Tom and I taught orthopedic medical
courses together, I often learned more than the students.
Tom was well-known within the orthopedic medical community
as an exceptional physician, as well as a pivotal thinker,
writer and teacher. He had a majestic command of the
English language. He also was a major thinker in the
preventative/nutritional medicine arena. In fact, he
introduced me to this whole area of medicine, and he
influenced the orthopedic medical community to shift
their thinking to include this vital area.
Besides all of this, Tom was a well-known libertarian
thinker and writer. He held strong beliefs in personal
freedom and independence. He decried the invasion of
insurance companies in medical decisions and never accepted
insurance payments. He opposed any governmental control
over medical practice. He used alternative medical therapies
when he thought that they were the best treatment for
his patients. He was the consummate physician.
Tom is survived by his wife of 38 years, Alison, four
children--Jill Coletti, Michael, Andrew, and Erin Hadley,
and six grandchildren--Jill's Benjamin and Joshua; Michael's
Mackenna and Micaela; and Erin's Zoe and Sam.
The family has asked that those who wish to honor Tom
make a donation to the Ludwig von Mises Institute in
his memory (http://mises.org/).
Tom Dorman was a great man. He was my colleague. He was
my teacher. He was my friend. God rest his soul. |
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