Meet Our Team

Dr. Calzaretta is the director and founder of the Chiro-Medical Group. He has been in practice since 1985, and has successfully pioneered the design and operation of a multi-disciplinary health care facility. He has traveled extensively both nationally and abroad treating professional and world class athletes.

Dr. Calzaretta was a founding board member of F.I.C.S (World Governing Body of Sports Chiropractic). His knowledge and experience in treating athletes was a key factor in his appointment as a team doctor in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.  He is a State Appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator and Certified Industrial Disability Examiner.  Dr. Calzaretta has taken his experience in sports and rehabilitative medicine and has successfully integrated them into the comprehensive health care approach offered by the Chiro-Medical Group.

Education/Certificates:

• University of Delaware: Pre-Medical Undergraduate Program 1982
• Life Chiropractic College, Doctor of Chiropractic 1985
• Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician 1988
• Certified Industrial Disability Examiner 1990
• State Appointed Qualified Medical Evaluator, California, 1991
• American College of Sports Medicine Certified Team Physician Program 1991/2004
• Certification in Manipulation Under Anesthesia, Staff Privileges  SF Surgery Center 1994
• Titleist Performance Institute Medical Professional Level 3 Certified  2007
• Independent Medical Evaluator for the State of Alaska
• SpineCor Accredited for Dynamic Bracing of Scoliosis 2008

Professional Associations:

• American Chiropractic Association
• American Chiropractic Association Sports Council
• American College of Sports Medicine
• American Association of Sensory Medicine
• California Chiropractic Association

Professional Appointments:

• XXIV Olympic Games, Seoul, Korea
• World Martial Arts Championships
• Jr. Olympics of Taekwondo
• World Corporate Games
• World Power lifting Championships
• North American Powerlifting Championships
• All African Championships
• World Championships of Athletics
• Coors Light Professional Cycling Team
• United States Olympic Freestyle Ski Team, World Cup Competition
• Sports Medicine Committee of the United States Taekwondo Union (former)
• Assistant to the President, Federation Internationale de Chiropratique Sportive(former)
• Professional Theatre Tour (Cats, Rockets, Damn Yankee, Wizard of Oz,etc.)
• Team In Training Running & Cycling Club
• Bill Graham Presents, Another Planet Entertainment-On Call for Bay Area Concert Tour

Presentations:

• International protocols for Multi-disciplinary Sports Medicine; Los Angeles College of Chiropractic
• Chiropractor’s Role in a Multi-disciplinary Spine Center; American Back Society, San Francisco, CA
• Chiropractic Treatment for the Scoliosis Patient: Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, San Francisco, CA
• Sacroiliac Syndrome; Rome, Italy
• Management of the Extremity Injury as Part of the Sports Medicine Team; Montreal, Canada
• Chiropractic Care of the Elite Tennis Player, STMS UCSF Medical Center Sports Medicine, Indian Wells, CA
• Instructional DVD, Bodyrev Back 2007, exercises for the back (prevention & rehabilitation)

Taylor Rabbetz, D.C., has practiced chiropractic in the Bay Area since 2000. He graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic West, cum laude, and specializes in the treatment of sports-related injuries. Dr. Rabbetz utilizes a functional approach as to how the spine and the extremities are truly integrated when an injury occurs with extensive knowledge of soft tissue and repetitive strain injuries. He strongly believes in an integrated approach to health care that combines the effectiveness of several disciplines to provide a more rounded approach to health care.

Having completed postgraduate programs in active release techniques, Graston and is a graduate of the American College of Sports Medicine Team Physician program, Dr. Rabbetz has served as team physician for many sports teams and events, including the Olympic Club Rugby Team, the US 1/2 Marathon and IronMan Triathlon medical staff. He has lectured to various athletic groups on preventative measures to minimize exposure to injuries as well as the best steps to take once injured.

Dr. Rabbetz hails originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he earned his undergraduate degree form the University of Calgary.

Dr. Vishal Thakral is a Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-trained physician who is board certified in Sports Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His primary focus is non-operative sports medicine utilizing musculoskeletal ultrasound-guided procedures to perform state-of-the-art treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Prolotherapy, and Regenerative Medicine. 

Dr. Thakral has treated world-class athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA along with many professional NFL and NBA athletes in Los Angeles. He has also served as head team physician for San Diego State University Division I Woman’s Basketball Team and provided physician support and team coverage for 14 Division I athletic teams including tennis, rowing, soccer, track and field, softball, and volleyball. Personally, he enjoys playing tennis, running, and hiking.

"I am so happy that I found Dr. Vishal Thakral! I was scheduled for a knee scope surgery and I had lost hope about returning to jogging, let alone running. Dr. Thakral took the time to actually listen to me, thoroughly examine my knee, do an ultrasound, and explain to me my MRI. The funny thing is that my surgeon didn't do any of that! He just told me that I had a menisicis tear and I needed surgery! He sure didn't explain that a scope and removal of my meniscis would just set me up for arthritis! 

So I ended up going through with a stem cell procedure. I was scared but the whole process was smooth and the procedure did not hurt much at all. The 10 days after my procedure were... painful. Not horrible though because I was taking some pain meds. Then, I started to gradually feel improvement.

And now, I'm almost 4 months out from my stem cell procedure and I'm almost 95% improved! I'm back to running, gradually increasing my miles, and if everything keeps going in the right direction, I'll be running a 1/2 marathon in the Spring! 

I'm overall very happy about my experience. I really can't say enough good things about Dr. Thakral."

Sean P. - Beverly Hills, CA

Dr. Brooke Bennis is an Osteopathic Physician who is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  She specializes in Regenerative Medicine with a focus in diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal and sports injury. Through specialized regenerative procedures such as, Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP), and Stem Cell injections Dr. Bennis’ goal is to achieve and restore function and improve quality of life with the least invasive treatment available.

Dr. Bennis began her medical career as an Osteopathic Medical Doctor at Virginia Tech and subsequently completed a specialty residency at Indiana University. Following her residency, Dr. Bennis instructed physicians and therapists in musculoskeletal ultrasound and specialized in regenerative and therapeutic musculoskeletal medicine. In addition to regenerative medical procedures, Dr. Bennis treats patients for interventional pain management, sports medicine, and performs Botox procedures for both therapeutic and cosmetic benefit.

Dr. Bennis focuses on the whole person in diagnosis and treatment of all conditions. She joins Chiro-Medical Group with the belief that an integrated team approach can provide successful outcomes and the highest quality of patient care.

Dr. David Suarez is a UCSF and Stanford-trained physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician. He is fellowship-trained in sports medicine, regenerative medicine, and interventional spine care, and is board-certified by the American Board of PM&R. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, including sports and spine injuries, using the latest ultrasound technology and advanced regenerative medicine and orthobiologic practices, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, bone marrow and adipose cell procedures (aka stem cell procedures), and prolotherapy. He will be incorporating fluoroscopy-guided spine procedures in the future. His philosophy is to use a multidisciplinary team approach to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries and dysfunction.

Dr. Suarez is a fluent and native Spanish-speaker who has called the Bay Area home for the last three decades, including 12 fantastic years in San Francisco. He was Chief Resident at Stanford and participated in multiple research and community projects at UCSF. In his free time, he enjoys taking advantage of all the cultural and outdoor activities the Bay Area has to offer with his family.

Dr. Heidi Chang is thrilled to be a part of a truly integrated health clinic. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Biology. She obtained her docorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic in San Jose. Her main treatment modalities include manual adjustment, diversified and activator techinque. Prior to obtaining her doctorate, she worked as a chiropractic assistant and learned all about the administrative side of a chiropractic office. During her internship at North East Medical Services, she provided community health talks and performed exercise demonstrations for patients seeking care at the non-profit health clinic. Dr. Chang enjoys providing compassionate care to youth and adult patients in all states of wellness.

Dr. Chang spends her free time taking long walks along the beach, going on weekend get-aways or spending quality time with family.

- 2018 Yosemite Half Marathon -

Dr. Leanna Liu originally comes from Bellevue, WA, where she graduated from the University of Washington, Seattle with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. She received her Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic, West, graduating with Magna Cum Laude, the Presidential Award and a part of the Phi Tau Delta Honor Society. Dr. Liu has spent countless hours to attend seminars to further perfect her craft; she lives by the phrase “never stop learning”.
 
Dr. Liu is passionate about helping patients obtain optimum health through a combination of chiropractic, exercise and nutrition. She specializes in manual adjustments, soft tissue techniques, rehabilitation, posture evaluation and is also certified in Active Release Technique. She strongly believes in an integrative approach to healthcare and is truly excited to be a part of a multidisciplinary clinic.
 
During her free time, Dr. Liu enjoys discovering new restaurants in San Francisco, shopping in Union Square and baking gluten free desserts.

Dr. Tracy Yang is a native Californian of the Bay Area and currently lives in Alameda, Ca. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley where she earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Molecular and Cell Biology while also minoring in Music. After being introduced to Chiropractic by her cousin who is a success Chiropractor also practicing in the Bay Area, Dr. Yang shortly began her Doctorate of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree at Life Chiropractic College West where she graduated with high honors magna cum laude. There she developed her gentle yet specific Chiropractic touch and love of helping people move towards optimum health.

Dr. Yang strongly believes in a comprehensive and integrative approach to health. She believes that the key to a healthy lifestyle includes restoring full function and mobility to the body. Dr. Yang practices a wide range of Chiropractic techniques and is knowledgeable in sports rehabilitation/exercises, soft tissue mobilization techniques, posture correction, work station ergonomics, and is also Activator certified, to name a few.

When she’s out of the office, Dr. Yang is actively involved in serving her local church where she loves to mentor and care for many young people. She's also active in serving the community by offering her time giving health screenings and educating people at local gyms, natural food shops and health fairs. Most recently she volunteered her time to the East Bay Stand Down, delivering Chiropractic care to hundreds of war veterans throughout the East Bay.

Dr. David M Hicks has spent the majority of his career working in posture and scoliosis correction. He has worked in hospitals and private specialty clinics in Indonesia, China and The United States over the last 12 years, most recently completing a three year assignment as Director of Scoliosis Rehabilitation in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Hicks' specialty is spinal biomechanics, and he brings The Spinal Analysis Software System with him to his new home here at Chiro-Medical Group. When he is not treating patients he enjoys practicing martial arts, and weight training.

A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Grubinskas studied Marketing at Massachusetts Bay Community College and Management at San Jose State University. Dr. Grubinskas is a certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist and has a vast knowledge of Occupational Medicine and functional rehabilitation exercises. He joins Chiro-Medical Group after over 15 years in private practice. Dr. Grubinskas is proficient in spinal and extremity adjusting and uses various soft tissue techniques, including Gavilan. As the Rehab Facilities Coordinator at Alliance Occupational Mediciane, he assisted patients with all phases of physical treatment including chiropractic care, exercise instruction, activities of daily living, traction, ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Dr. Grubinskas is proud of his in-depth knowledge about co-managing patient care with MDs, physiatrists, orthopedists, and neurologists.

When James is out of the office, he enjoys hiking, biking, spending lots of time with his children. During football season, you'll find him cheering for his hometown team, the New England Patriots.

Born in East Tennessee, Xavier graduated from Belmont University in Nashville. As a student intern he worked in London, England, but most recently worked at California Pacific Medical Center (Davis Campus) in acute care, ICU and surgery. He has experience with stroke/traumatic brain injury patients as well. He's a certified Spanish language medical interpreter and a licensed Physical Therapist in Tennessee and California. In his free time, Xavier enjoys surfing and playing on the San Francisco Soccer Football League (Premier Div.).

Allyson received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. A Bay Area native, she is excited for the opportunity to be a part the Chiro-Medical team. She values the intricacies of functional medicine and uses client-centered methods to restore and improve movement patterns. She has taken additional advanced coursework in athletic training, cervical and thoracic spine mobilizations, and neuromuscular recruitment of the lower quarter. Allyson is a strong advocate for an integrated health care model and providing quality care through manual techniques.  In her spare time, she can be found exploring the outdoors, kickboxing, or searching for the best sandwich San Francisco has to offer.

Payal is an experienced physical therapist with advanced knowledge of orthopedics, having completed her post-doctoral residency at John Hopkins Hospital. While she was with Cottage Health System in Santa Barbara, California, she helped develop post-operative protocols for knee/hip replacements and ACL reconstructions. Payal also developed unique skills while she worked internationaly as a traveling personal physical therapist for the Saudi Royal Family. She worked alongside orthopedic surgeons from Germany, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom to provide pre- and post-operative treatment.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Pollie graduated from Sacramento State with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. He attended Physical Therapy Assistant school at Gurnick in San Mateo, CA. Pollie has experience working in acute care and ICU. Most recently he worked in the outpatient department at the David Grant Hospital on Travis Air Force Base. In his free time, Pollie enjoys snowboarding and playing basketball.

Erica Hemenway is a California native and a 10-year Bay Area resident.  A woman of many skills, she graduated summa cum laude from California State University of Monterey Bay with a degree in theater and film.  She completed the massage practitioner program at Monterey Penninsula College (349 hour program).  She also travelled the world working at an animal rehabilitation center in Ecuador, teaching English is Ghana, doing coral reef research on the Meso-American Barrier Reef, and working on a United Nations development project in the Mayan community of Señor, Mexico.  All this before returning to school to earn her degree as a Phyiscal Therapy Assistant at the College of the Sequoias, where she graduated as her class Valedictorian.
Having worked in skilled nursing, acute care, ICU and out-patient orthopedics, Erica’s approach to physical therapy is to utilize an integration of manual techniques with neurological retraining in combination with traditional (and sometimes non-traditional) exercise.

When not at Chiro Medical Group, Erica’s can usually be found training capoeira, riding her bike, performing improv comedy or taking photos.

Nick grew up in the Bay Area and currently lives in Pleasant Hill, CA. He completed his undergraduate studies at San Francisco State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.  He was first introduced to Physical Therapy back in High School where he had to rehab his shoulder from a baseball injury. He's interested in physical therapy because the human body is a fascinating puzzle and he enjoys building relationships with patients through the process of their rehabilitation. "Nothing is more satisfying then seeing patients come in on crutches and watching as they progress to running and doing agility drills." His professional goal is to become a Physical Therapist so he can help people get back to moving functionally. Things that he enjoys are taking naps, stuffing his face with food, playing sports, being outdoors, and torturing people with rehab exercises.

A recent graduate of UC Berkeley, Mitchell has a BA in Integrative Biology with an emphasis in human health. While in college, he volunteered in a yoga class for people with disabilities. It was during these classes that he developed a passion for physical therapy and its capacity for rehabilitation. Since then, he has continued to explore the field by volunteering in animal rehab, private clinics, and hospitals. Mitchell plans to attend PT school and earn a doctorate in physical therapy. Outside of his career, Mitchell enjoys meditation, lifting weights, and bedazzling people with fun facts.

If there is one thing you need to know about him, it's that he loves being active; whether its working out at the gym, going out for a hike, or simply going out with friends. Some "runner up" hobbies include cooking, trying new things, and learning more about how the human body works. Currently, he is working with Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. as a Physical Therapist Aide to broaden his knowledge and complete the necessary requirements for a Physical Therapy degree. His long term goals are to obtain his Doctor of Physical Therapy license and apply his skills for those in need of rehabilitative services.

A recent graduate of University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, Kristine has a BA in Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences. She first became interested in Physical Therapy while rehabilitating a knee injury she sustained while playing volleyball.Through her volunteering experiences, she has gained a greater assurance of wanting to pursue this field. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with her patients and watching them make progress throughout their treatment sessions. Kristine hopes to further her career by attending Physical Therapy school in the future. Outside of her career she enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, being outdoors, and spending time with her family and friends.

Avery grew up in San Francisco and now lives in Benicia, CA. He graduated with a degree in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University. He first became interested in physical therapy when he tore a ligament in his elbow playing baseball. Since undergoing physical therapy at age 12, becoming a physical therapist has been his goal. He enjoys the process and commitment required to rehabilitate a patient back to his/her functional self. Avery loves any type of sport, mainly competitive baseball and golf. His competitive nature helps drive him in both physical therapy and sport. Avery also enjoys playing video games, cooking Filipino food, and everything DragonBall Z. 

Olivia comes to Chiro-Medical Group by way of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She is a licensed and certified Athletic Trainer with a Bachelor's of Athletic Training from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. She's also a two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference soccer champion.

Olivia's duties during her clinical rotations at Lafayette College, Pen Argyl High School and Belvidere High School included on-field injury assessment, rehabilitation, venue preparation and the application of multiple treatment modalities.

Olivia worked with Physical Therapists at Randolph Wellness Center to facilitate patient's treatment plans. She also has experience helping patients reduce pain associated with chronic re-injury.

She's thrilled to be in the Bay Area taking advantage of all the recreational activities sunny California offers.

Massimo grew up in several cities scattered throughout the Bay Area. He graduated from The University of California Davis in 2016 with a degree in exercise biology. He received his personal training license through National Academy of Sports Medicine. Throughout high school and college he had a heavy background in coaching football and basketball. His interest in physical therapy was piqued following a devastating lung injury. Through therapy he recovered and was able to live a lifestyle he thought he had lost. He wants to help strengthen and heal others so that they can move in the world without pain. Some of his personal interests include pick-up basketball, anime, food, electronic music and the outdoors.

William Fuller is a Certified Massage Therapist and Wellness Educator working in San Francisco, California. William's extensive background in sports science has prepared him to combine multiple massage styles with holistic principles to achieve effective body tension release and positive structural change. Prior to moving to California, William taught a vast range of sports, abilities, and ages in England, Kenya, and Kuwait. In 2010, he enrolled in a unique physical rehabilitation training program founded by Dr. Meir Schneider that combines in-depth knowledge of the human body with movement and self-care techniques.

William specializes in therapeutic massage for both Chiro-Medial patients and his own private clientele. To contact William about services offered through Chiro-Medical Group or private inquiries, please visit his website at www.visionbodymind.com.