Mt. Washington chiropractor Eric Huntington.

Like so many others, the International Chiropractors Association went into action soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.

In the wake of the tragedies, the group offered its services to the many rescue and recovery, security and support personnel assisting victims at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Mt. Washington chiropractor Dr. Eric Huntington joined co-workers for a Pentagon relief effort to boost the morale of rescue staff and volunteers.

"Emotional stress and being on your feet does not lend itself to traditional medical treatment," Huntington said. "Therefore, the Department of Defense brought in chiropractors, counselors and massage therapists."

Five days after the attack, Huntington was working late at his Mt. Washington practice when he received a call to fill a 10 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. shift at the Pentagon.

"If you approach the building and didn't know what happened, you would have no idea," Huntington said in describing the aftermath of the attack. "It was a big hole in the side of the Pentagon."

Camp Unity, the name given for the relief tent, provided around the clock service to the dedicated workers. One station was set up at the Pentagon and ten stations at the World Trade Center.

Many workers at the crash site were not ready to cope with the devastation, and chiropractic care can be a very important treatment in calming people in times of disaster, Huntington said.

"Chiropractors work with the spine and it is attached to the nervous system, which controls organs such as the heart and lungs," he said. "The spine connects to everything."

According to "Inside the Wire," a publication at the Pentagon, 24 doctors helped out during the first weekend following the attacks, logging 300 hours and seeing 1,500 patients, who included anyone from a two-star generals to Red Cross volunteers.

"The profound emotional as well as physical contribution chiropractic is making in this effort has been a revelation to all in leadership positions in this situation," Dr. Donald Hirsh, the International Chiropractors Association's elected representative in Maryland, said on the group's Web site. "Many have come back for additional care and to thank the chiropractors."

When Camp Unity was being downsized after the first weekend of the attack, workers were asked what services they no longer needed. Outback Steakhouse restaurant was voted off and the chiropractors stayed.

"When we arrived, a small percentage of Camp Unity knew what chiropractic was. But once they learned and experienced chiropractic, they were eager to participate," Huntington said.

Huntington volunteered for one late-night shift for the relief effort, and his thoughts continue to be with the rescue and recovery teams in both New York and Washington, D.C.

"The atmosphere was something I never felt before, everyone was so stressed and tense, yet sad and angry," he said. "We were hands-on healers to the workers, and if we can get them to stand tall, there is a tremendous impact on their well-being."

A New York native, Huntington opened Living Wellness Chiropractic in the Mt. Washington area two months ago.

After his return from the Pentagon, Huntington went back to business as usual to try to set his patients back in the right direction - and maybe even many others.

"I have literally seen what hatred can do, and we have to not let this happen again," he said. "We need to foster a world where we all love and understand each other."

E-mail Yalonda Rice at yrice@patuxent.com.

Original article: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=574&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=387377&om=1