Massage & Bodywork

MAY | JUNE 2017

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82 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a y / j u n e 2 0 1 7 chiropractic clinic at the hospital and at a chiropractic school in Ranbaj. Hoda continued to travel back and forth to India and established a practice in Mann's dental clinic. She was effectively integrating chiropractic care with the dental services being offered. This synergy led to conversations around massage therapy, as Hoda and Mann both saw the potential to integrate massage as a viable health-care option with chiropractic services and dental care—a true integrative model for dental patients. Mann believes the institution of massage can create a new stream of health-care professionals with scientific backgrounds, thus creating employment opportunities while providing a path to wellness for the Indian people. "I think the whole world will be looking for a supply of skilled massage therapists for their respective countries, and we can help address this shortage of skilled practitioners," Mann says. Both Hoda and Mann feel that once the education and career path is established and validated, massage therapy will become mainstream as a viable career choice, particularly for young people. As the idea solidified, Hoda began conversations with Dartnall and Pasinato- Forchielli about the potential to create a massage school. The idea for the International Medical Massage Therapy Institute (IMMTI) was born. Education is so highly valued and so diligently pursued in India that Hoda, Dartnall, and Pasinato-Forchielli believe their initiative will embraced. IMMTI's training module is based on decades of scientific research that will allow graduates to flourish in India and open doors internationally. To create a formal institution in India, people in leadership positions need to be engaged and lend support to this level of endeavor. In March 2016, the health-care team met with the Honourable Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in India's Punjab region and presented the idea for massage education and the creation of a career path. The idea was heartily accepted and the chief minister pushed for the school to happen as soon as possible. IMMTI occupies a 4,000-square-foot space at Ranbaj Hospital in Mohali, Punjab, India. The first class began on March 2, 2017. The institute has met the requirements to become an NCBTMB-assigned school. Dartnall is the director for the school and Pasinato-Forchielli is associate director. The opening of the International Medical Massage Therapy Institute was cause for celebration. On hand were (from left to right) Pankajpreet Singh, associate professor at Sri Guru Granth Sahib World Sikh University; Scott Dartnall, RMT; Monica Pasinato-Forchielli, RMT; Andria Hoda, DC; Randeep Mann, BDS; and Christopher Gibbins, Consul General of Canada, Canadian Consulate, Chandigarh. Launching A Formal Massage School A team of Canadian massage and wellness professionals is at the forefront of creating an educational path to make massage therapy an acceptable career choice in India. Andria Hoda, DC; Scott Dartnall, RMT; and Monica Pasinato-Forchielli, RMT, have all worked in the realm of massage and wellness for some time. Dartnall and Pasinato-Forchielli are part of the team that created and facilitates the Canadian and American Massage Conferences. Hoda is a practicing chiropractor and works at Pasinato-Forchielli's massage clinic—Family Wellness Center—in Ontario, Canada. Late in 2014, Hoda met Randeep Mann, BDS, owner of India's Baj One Wellness Healthcare and Ranbaj Hospital, and president of the Punjab Dental Council. Hoda was present at Mann's continuing education dental program, which focused on comanagement of dental patients with chiropractic support. This program was a great success, and they quickly began discussing the potential to open up a

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