PERSON OF THE MONTH 

Our Person of the Month is Dr. Jessica Kallio, DC who is a very skilled clinician and the Academic Dean of South California Health Institute (SOCHI). Years ago this exceptional educational institution was founded by JMS contributor Boris Prilutsky, MA, LMT and was among only a few massage schools in the USA given the right to award CEUs to chiropractors and physical therapists.  

Under the leadership of Dr. Kallio, SOCHI grew even more and became the prime place to get massage therapy education. Dr. Kallio is a champion of science and it deeply impacted SOCHI’s curriculum, which she further developed. Thanks to Mr. Prilutsky’s and Dr. Kallio’s tireless work students who graduate SOCHI are in great demand in spas, but what is even more important by the California medical community.  

The contribution of SOCHI to massage education in the USA was recently recognized by the World Massage Festival where the school was awarded 2016 World Massage Festival’s Massage Therapy School of the Year. Our Congratulations!

So, if you are in California or in other states and you would like to become a massage therapist, consider SOCHI. You will enroll in one of the country’s best massage programs and have the chance to work with Dr. Kallio. It will put you on the correct path from the very beginning. 

Dr. Ross Turchaninov, Editor in Chief 

Here is our interview with 

CLINICAN AND MASSAGE EDUCATOR

 

Dr. Jessica Kallio, DC

JMS: How did you become interested in Massage Therapy? 

Dr. Kallio: I was always looking for other ways to give my patients relief when I was treating them with chiropractic care, so I started using manual therapy and practicing different movement methods.  

Once I was hired at the Southern California Health Institute, the program director for massage therapy, their leading instructor Angel Gregorio trained me in Russian Medical Massage techniques and protocols. I was so amazed at how well the methods and philosophy aligned with chiropractic treatments and I started incorporating that into my care.  

When I was approached to help organize the curriculum into a longer, more formal program, I was excited to expand the courses to include more of the science of massage and to offer it to people as a career path for helping others. 

JMS: You are the Academic Dean of SOCHI, which has many important programs besides MT (Physical Therapy Aide/Sports Rehab, Medical Billing and Coding Specialist, Medical Assistant, Personal Fitness Trainer). SOCHI has one of the best massage programs in the USA. Could you briefly describe the goals and applications of your school’s curriculum? 

Dr. Kallio: The Southern California Health Institute was founded in 1996 by Boris Prilutsky, MA, LMT. The program was massage based and focused on training therapists to work as massage therapists, physical therapy aides and chiropractic assistants. Over the years the school has grown and programs have been added that represent the school’s excellence in preparing allied health and wellness students for successful careers.  

Currently, SOCHi offers five programs in rewarding fields including medical billing and coding, medical assistant and personal fitness training in addition to the massage and physical therapy aide programs. The curriculums have been developed along with experts in the industries and using top notch content providers like NASM and AAPC.  

Even as we added more recent and varied programs, our foundation at SOCHi has always been massage based. The goal of our massage courses and curriculum is to train the student in the understanding of when and how to apply Medical Massage for the desired outcome. We approach it so that they can address any problem with critical thinking and know how to treat it in the framework of MEDICAL MASSAGE PROTOCOLs and methods. Clinical assessment of the soft tissue, inhibitory regime of massage therapy, fascial work, trigger point treatment and Postisometric Muscular Relaxation are part of every treatment protocol we share with our students. 

JMS: You are also a practicing physician. What is your vision for the clinical cooperation between Chiropractors and Massage Therapists? How much do you rely on soft tissue work in your practice?  

Dr. Kallio: I had 3 massage therapists on my team in a prior integrative medicine pain management practice where I headed the rehabilitation department. I think massage is crucial as part of a full treatment plan for patients dealing with many types of issues. Scar release, pain relief, nervous system relaxation and many other neuromusculoskeletal issues can be resolved with the proper application of massage. 

JMS: There is a lot of controversy in the MT profession about even the term Medical Massage. There is the view that when regular MT is conducted in a hospital setting, it is Medical Massage. You are among the few school directors and educators who see Medical Massage from the strictly clinical perspective. How would you define Medical Massage for our readers who are not familiar with this subject and are lost within its controversial interpretations? 

Dr. Kallio: Medical Massage is the appropriate term used when we apply massage for any pathological condition. However, we use science based protocols that are applied in a systematic way based on the initial client assessment with predictable clinical outcomes.  

JMS: What is your favorite type of Bodywork? 

Dr. Kallio: My favorite type of massage is the spinal release protocol we teach here at SOCHI, that incorporates spinal discharge and Segment Reflex Massage work as well as manual traction. 

JMS: What is your advice to our readers?

Dr. Kallio: Have your spine checked by a chiropractor, make healthy food choices, sleep 8 hours a night and GET MORE MASSAGES!  


Category: Person of the Month

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