Earthquake damage in L'Aquila.

I felt a tremendous shaking that went deep into the ground. At that moment, I understood that even if the epicenter was not on the coastline, wherever it hit had surely been severely damaged. I quickly exited onto my terrace and saw many of my neighbors on the street below, in their pajamas. Everyone huddled together in groups, fearful that something larger was about to arrive. Since I believe in destiny and was scheduled to begin adjusting my patients early the next morning, I went back inside and attempted to sleep. The next morning, the radio confirmed that 60 miles away, the city of L’Aquila had been destroyed by a jolt of 5.9 on the Richter scale. On hearing the news, my initial instinct was to rush quickly to the site, but the news announcer advised against such spontaneous gestures because they could add to the confusion.

Panic and Fear, Followed by Openness and Compassion

Dr. Chris Cerrato at CRI military camp, Paganica.

Over the next few days, the tone of my city changed dramatically; many of my patients and friends started sleeping in their cars. Panic and fear began to paralyze people and the constant aftershocks did nothing to allay their understandable concern. One afternoon, my office building started shaking while I was in the middle of a side posture adjustment with a patient. We decided to run out in a hurry because it seemed like the building was about to collapse.

Amidst the disorder, I noticed something unexpected and deeply touching. People on the street who under normal circumstances might merely have exchanged brief glances, began to share heartfelt gestures of mutual compassion. Connecting with others was our natural response to shared trauma. But while this was comforting, the fear remained. Soon, I started to have difficulty sleeping. Every time my dog barked or acted strangely, I was ready to take the escape route out of my building. I felt disempowered and destabilized. As a chiropractor who is used to solving problems rather than passively reacting to them, I found this upsetting and unacceptable.

Drs. Daniel Rigel and Eduardo Aguilar at fire fighters base camp, Coppito.

At a certain point, I said “Enough!!” and realized that I had to do something. The next day, an ambulance set up a blood donation station in the piazza below my office. I volunteered twice to donate blood but they turned me away because my blood pressure was too low. Disappointed, I returned to my office, where I read on the Internet that the singer Madonna had just donated $500,000 to help those in the land of her grandparents. She said, “I am happy to give a hand to the Italian city from which my ancestors came. My heart goes out to the families that have lost their beloved or their houses.” In that moment, I felt deep admiration for her. I also thought, “I am Italian-American as well. I may not have $500,000 in the bank that I can donate to charity, but I am a chiropractor. My job consists of making a positive change in people’s lives for their health and well-being.”

Remembering the Helpfulness of California
Chiropractors After the San Diego Fire

Drs. Jennifer Lovern, Daniel Bertamini, Martin Silva, and Sven Boehne.

Then, I remembered that after I graduated from CCCLA in April 2003, I had worked as an associate for Dr. Ron Oberstein in San Diego, California. In the fall of that year, a tremendous fire destroyed an inland suburban area. Many Dr. Ron’s patients lost their homes and the city of San Diego screeched to a halt. During the critical emergency phase, a small group of chiropractors including Dr. Matt Hubbard, Dr. Ron’s other associate at the time, organized a team to give chiropractic adjustments at the base camp of the San Diego County fire fighters. When a large area is aggressively burning, the fire departments not only attempt to extinguish the fires but also try to contain them in order to prevent greater losses and casualities. In this intense phase, every minute counts, and the fire fighters’ bodies produce so much adrenalin that they may not even notice the pain from overexertion. This means that they risk going beyond their physical limits without being aware of it.

At such times, a chiropractic adjustment can help them feel better and work more effectively. It is a little like an athlete who receives a treatment before a major event in order to face the challenges of great physical effort in a maximum-performance state. Knowing this, in the face of serious catastrophes spontaneous groups of chiropractors have emerged in places including the United States, Peru, Australia and other nations.

Finding Ways to Help: Navigating the Bureaucracy

Dr. Mauro Cento at CRU military camp, Paganica.

Thanks to the efforts of our national Italian Association of Chiropractic (AIC) (www.chiropratica.it), chiropractic has been officially recognized as a primary health care profession in Italy since 2007, after decades when chiropractors could only practice under the license of a medical physician. Another difference between Italy and the United States is that in Italy the authorities are much more restricted in their ability to allow private citizens to contribute to relief efforts. For many days, I faxed, telephoned, and sent emails all over Italy, from Rome to Milan, in order to find someone in a decision-making position who understood chiropractic and how chiropractors could help. I contacted the National Guard, the Red Cross and numerous local government offices without success.

Then, by what seemed like pure luck, I obtained the cell phone number of a spokesperson for the Italian Red Cross. Even after hearing my American accent, he was kind and willing to listen to me. He then put me in contact with the head medical doctor coordinating all the emergency facilities in the military tents in the earthquake zone. She gave us permission to organize two small groups to head to L’Aquila and to be present in two different Red Cross camps. Initially, she seemed skeptical as to why we would want to participate and asked us to not cause confusion or interfere with the operations taking place. Nonetheless, she made it possible for us to join the relief effort.

Chiropractic Association Coordinates Relief Efforts

Helping those who need help, in the best traditions of chiropractic.

In the days immediately after the earthquake, the secretaries of the AIC called me to be sure I was still alive. I mentioned my desire to organize a group of volunteer chiropractors so that we could contribute to relief efforts, along the lines of what I had witnessed several years earlier in San Diego. They understood immediately and spread the word among our 300 members. I personally called my close friends to participate: my fellow CCCLA graduate, Dr. Eduardo Aguilar, from my city of Pescara, and Drs. Daniel Rigel and Mukesh Bhardway, from Rome. We formed a team ready to serve. What began as a small group of philosophically driven chiropractors that wanted to help in some way, grew to become an official collaboration between the AIC, our national chiropractic association, and the Italian Red Cross (CRI).

Over the past two months, the project has grown in magnitude such that we are now serving an average of over 70 Red Cross volunteers, National Guard members, fire fighters and others each day. In the earthquake zone, we have official permission to be present in four camps – two with CRI in contact with their volunteers, as well as civilians; and two more directly inside the barracks of Italy’s national fire fighters group. We have had the opportunity to treat people coming from all different areas of Italy. This has given us the opportunity to promote chiropractic in the most positive way imaginable, on an unprecedented national scale. Because each government department replaces their forces on a weekly basis, we have been able to directly assist thousands of individuals from all parts of Italy. Our efforts have been very much appreciated and we have been asked to maintain the collaboration well into this fall.

Strong Response by Chiropractors Inspires Others to Help

Dr. Patricia De Luca with patient.

The response from my colleagues has been overwhelming. Since we first set foot in the camps on Saturday, April 11, 2009, we have had the participation of over 40 different chiropractors from throughout Italy. From Turin, Milan, Rome, and Naples, these colleagues closed their offices for a few days and came down. The AIC was even approached by group of private medical doctors and physical therapists that wanted to join our project!

Little by little, I noticed that my fear-related insomnia was replaced by fatigue from the combination of performing chiropractic adjustments for 10 hours a day and then returning home every night to care for my little dog. I enjoyed one of my most memorable Easter celebrations ever in the company of the military in the camp of the CRI. There, I had the profound honor of meeting some truly amazing people and I have grown to understand the true meaning of solidarity.

This period has been unbelievable for me. Five years ago I could not speak Italian and now, I have shaken hands and given my business cards to some of the most important doctors of the CRI and many commanding officers of the Italy’s fire fighters. At the European Chiropractors’ Union (ECU) Convention held in Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia from May 21-23, 2009 (www.ecuconvention.eu), we raised financial support through raffle tickets and donations to continue the efforts of this landmark project, now known as the Chiropractic Action Team.

Drs. Jennifer Lovern (2nd row, left) and Eduardo Aguilar (back row, left) with medical doctors, nurses and clowns of infirmary, PMA-CRI camp, San Gregorio.

Now, with the aid of the ECU (www.chiropractic-ecu.org), we will have the participation of doctors coming from all across Europe to continue our collaboration with the Italian Red Cross. I have seen tremendous unity grow within our chiropractic profession. I believe the generosity of our humanitarian contribution makes a very strong statement that raises us to the next level professionally.

“When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.”
—Norman Vincent Peale

Jennifer Lovern, DC, is an American-born chiropractor who practices in Pescara, Italy. She can be reached at drjenniferlovern@aol.com.