Page 29 - BackSpace October 2017

Newsletter of the European Chiropractors’ Union
Feature
November was very busy treating mainly members of the Red Cross, Civil Protection, some police officers and the Order of Malta. The camp organisers, especially Francesco Bellabarba of the Order of Malta, helped us to manage the patient flow and to get the word out. They took care of the tent, the heating, electrical current and all other logistical aspects.
By the end of November, the weather conditions had become much worse, and it was almost impossible to give treatment in the tents at temperatures close to freezing. We had to look for a feasible alternative, which presented itself in the form of collaboration with the fire brigades: we were allowed to enter their barracks, even though they were completely stacked with firefighters from all over Italy. The crews changed every week and this was a great chance to see many of them. Doctors Roberto Vecchioni, David Williams, Piero Giacobbi and Giovanbattista Costantini were dedicating their spare time to give us a hand and provide a continuous service.
Originally, we had planned to carry on providing the service until Christmas, but since the need was obvious and there were still many firefighter squadrons coming in from the various regions of Italy, we continued treatment until March. At the moment, we are still treating sporadically, but mainly the local brigade, which found great benefit in maintenance care; we concluded at the end of August 2017. I certainly hope that no further presence will be needed, but even now, many months after the main events, the tremors are still going on – there was a magnitude 3 quake tonight, two miles from our home. However, we’ve become used to it: you just turn onto the other side and try to continue to sleep...
Firemen do a lot of very heavy work in some of the most unforgiving situations, when individuals cannot think about their own health but have to rescue the lives of others. Very often these men go about their business notwithstanding considerable pain and dedicate their life for the good of their community, and all
of this usually for poor pay. They have to rely completely on their companions, working together as a small group but one that is definitely larger than the sum of its parts... an attitude that is becoming more and more rare in our times. Egotism has no place between them, and I profoundly admire them for these values. It was a pleasure to treat them.
All together we have delivered several hundred treatments, giving advice and recommending back-up care to the firemen
from other parts of Italy. Some had already been chiropractic patients, and the ones who weren’t were sent to chiropractors in their local areas for further care.
When I first heard about our nomination to receive the ECU Humanitarian Award I felt embarrassed. The urge to help our fellow citizens is innate in each chiropractor and a bedrock
of our professionalism. Great satisfaction comes from our immediate results and the thankful smiles from treated patients. I am absolutely convinced that each member of the chiropractic community would have done exactly what our group has done, dedicating their professionalism in an effort of solidarity in times of need. Solidarity is not optional, it is a cornerstone of all social interaction and of a profession that has had to defend itself for
a very long time. To emphasise this concept and demonstrate to the general public that chiropractors are always willing to step in and fulfil their role as an integral part of daily life in society has to remain one of the pillars of the mentality of chiropractic.
Apart from the honour of receiving the award, we have received monetary recognition, too. These funds will be dedicated to the local firefighters who sustained us and gave us shelter during the cold months, thus enabling us to continue our efforts. Hence, the plan is to donate mattresses to the headquarters of the Camerino fire brigade. Their beds are in a pitiful condition: it is all well and good to adjust these brave men, but once they return to their sleeping quarters when on watch, their cots actively counteract our attempts to treat and stabilise their musculoskeletal system!
There were other incidental benefits too. Local and national media picked up the story and thereby informed the Italian public about our initiative, and there will be a television report covering the emergency relief and the ECU award ceremony very soon.
Without the help of all colleagues and the support of the Italian Chiropractic Association, namely the president Dr John Williams, we would not have come this far in treating these brave men and women. Also, a heartfelt thank you to the Chiropractic Action Team that had organised the relief efforts at the time of the L’Aquila earthquake. Their work opened all doors for us. Looking ahead, I believe we should establish a firm connection to the international emergency agencies. A common policy should be formulated and presented to these agencies of disaster relief, so that our presence in the moment of extreme urgency can be guaranteed immediately.
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