We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sani Kohen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sani, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

A defining moment in my professional career occurred during my clinical rotations in Southern California. I had the unique opportunity to work in virtually every conceivable chiropractic clinic setting—integrative clinics with chiropractors collaborating with medical doctors, physical therapists, and more. Despite the diversity of these environments, I realized a troubling commonality: most of these clinics were narrowly focused on symptom relief. Patient care was dictated more by insurance companies than by actual patient needs.

This revelation was eye-opening for me, both as a provider and as a patient myself. I witnessed firsthand how the system constrained practitioners, forcing them into a model where time with patients was limited and care was often superficial, addressing symptoms rather than root causes. The system’s inefficiencies were not only frustrating but also misaligned with the reason I entered this profession—to truly help people heal and regain autonomy over their lives.

This realization inspired me to create my own practice, where I could prioritize patients’ needs and provide care that addressed the underlying causes of their symptoms. By stepping away from reliance on insurance companies, I gained the freedom to spend as much time as necessary with each patient and design a care model tailored to long-term solutions.

As my practice grew, I began attracting patients who had “fallen through the cracks” of the traditional medical system—individuals who had sought help from multiple providers without finding lasting relief. I saw every patient case as a puzzle to solve, and the complexity of these cases kept my work exciting and fulfilling. Being able to help people who had been told there was no solution, or who had tried everything without success, solidified my commitment to this approach.

The lesson I took from this journey is profound: true impact comes when you challenge the status quo and align your work with your deeper purpose. By breaking away from a system that didn’t serve my patients, I was able to create a practice where they could thrive—and in doing so, found a renewed sense of passion and purpose in my career.

Sani, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My journey into chiropractic care and functional restoration has been deeply shaped by a lifelong passion for health, fitness, and helping others live pain-free, empowered lives. Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, my early years were defined by my athletic career in basketball. At 16, I moved to the United States to play basketball, which not only enhanced my understanding of physical health but also ignited my curiosity about the body’s potential for healing and performance.

After retiring from basketball, I earned a degree in Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology from Hofstra University in New York. I then spent time in Europe managing rehabilitation programs at a sports medicine clinic, where I helped patients recover from injuries and regain optimal health. This experience cemented my commitment to empowering people through effective healthcare.

To deepen my expertise, I returned to the U.S. to earn my Doctor of Chiropractic degree at the Southern California University of Health Sciences, focusing on Sports Medicine, Functional Medicine, and Neuromuscular Advanced Imaging. My professional growth has been sustained by continuous learning, attending global conferences, and collaborating with leading doctors across disciplines to bring the latest advancements to my practice.

About the Functional Restoration Institute:
I founded the Functional Restoration Institute in Newport Beach, California, to provide care that goes beyond the traditional healthcare model. During my clinical rotations, I noticed that many practices were limited to providing symptom relief due to restrictions imposed by insurance systems. These limitations often left patients with unresolved issues, especially those with complex conditions. My mission was to create a practice that could deliver lasting solutions by addressing the root causes of symptoms and empowering patients to take control of their health.

What We Solve:
At the Functional Restoration Institute, we specialize in treating neuropathy and fascial pain, along with other nerve and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. Many of our patients come to us after seeking help from multiple providers, often finding only temporary relief—or no relief at all. We take a comprehensive, individualized approach to:

Relieve chronic pain.
Restore function and mobility.
Resolve complex cases that others have struggled to address.
Each case is treated like a puzzle to solve, and we pride ourselves on providing precise, fast, and lasting results.

Services We Provide:
Our services are tailored to meet the unique needs of every patient and include:

Chiropractic Sports Medicine: Addressing sports-related injuries and enhancing physical performance.
Neuromuscular Rehabilitation: Specializing in nerve and fascia dysfunction to alleviate chronic pain and restore movement.
Functional Medicine: Using a holistic approach to identify and treat systemic imbalances impacting overall health.
What Sets Us Apart:
Root-Cause Care: We focus on identifying the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction rather than just addressing symptoms.
Exceptional Success Rates: 80% of our patients experience pain relief in five treatments or less, with a 96% success rate for resolving nerve and fascial issues.
Personalized Attention: Every patient receives care tailored to their unique condition, ensuring effective and lasting solutions.
Empowerment Through Education: We equip patients with the tools and knowledge they need to maintain and improve their health beyond the clinic.
Complimentary 30-Minute Consultation:
To ensure patients feel confident in their care journey, we offer a free 30-minute consultation. During this session, we discuss your specific symptoms, medical history, and goals to determine how we can best help you achieve long-term relief and restored function.

What I’m Most Proud Of:
What brings me the greatest pride is our ability to help patients who feel like they’ve exhausted all other options. Many of our patients have complex cases that haven’t been resolved through traditional medical systems. To witness their transformation—seeing them regain mobility, overcome chronic pain, and reclaim their lives—is incredibly fulfilling.

What I Want You to Know:
At the Functional Restoration Institute, we are not just about temporary fixes. Our mission is to restore your health comprehensively, offering you the freedom and autonomy to lead a pain-free life. Whether you’re dealing with neuropathy, fascial pain, or other unresolved conditions, we’re here to provide the lasting solutions you’ve been searching for.

If you’ve been let down by traditional approaches, don’t give up. Schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation today, and let us guide you toward the health and wellness you deserve.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building my reputation in the market has been a combination of relentless dedication to education, honest communication with patients, and delivering results that other providers may have struggled to achieve.

One of the key factors is the time and effort I invest in staying at the cutting edge of my field. I frequently travel to Europe and other parts of the world to attend advanced training programs and learn from leading experts in addressing complex conditions like neuropathy and fascia-related symptoms. This commitment ensures that I’m not only up to date with the latest treatments and technologies but also capable of applying them effectively to help my patients.

My reputation has also been significantly shaped by my success with patients who have been through the traditional medical system and seen multiple providers without finding relief. Many of these patients come to me as a last resort, and being able to provide them with tangible improvements in their health has built trust—not just with the patients themselves, but also with the providers who originally referred them. Over time, these providers have come to rely on me for resolving particularly complex cases, which has led to an ongoing cycle of referrals and trust within the medical community.

Another vital aspect of my reputation is my transparency with patients. I’m always honest about what I can and cannot do for them, setting realistic expectations from the outset. I believe in creating clear treatment plans and helping patients understand what to expect at every stage. This openness builds trust and fosters a collaborative relationship, where patients know that my primary goal is their long-term health and well-being.

If a patient’s condition falls outside my expertise or requires a different type of care, I’m committed to finding the right solution for them, even if that means referring them to someone else. This approach ensures that patients feel supported and cared for throughout their health journey, which further strengthens their trust and confidence in my practice.

Ultimately, my reputation has been built on a foundation of consistent effort, a patient-first mindset, and a dedication to continuous improvement. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how these values resonate with patients and peers, creating a ripple effect of trust and success in the community I serve.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A key lesson I had to unlearn was the compartmentalized way of thinking about the human body that is often emphasized in medical or doctoral programs. In school, we’re taught to divide the body into separate systems—nervous, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, etc.—to make it easier to study and understand. While this approach is helpful in academia, it doesn’t fully translate to real-world clinical scenarios, where the body functions as an interconnected whole.

Although my education was more holistic than most, I still had to go the extra mile to truly understand and apply the concept of integrative care in practice. The reality is that no system in the human body operates in isolation. For example, a patient’s chronic pain might not originate where it’s felt—it could stem from fascial dysfunction, neuropathy, or even systemic issues that need to be addressed collectively.

Unfortunately, our broader medical system tends to focus on pain management rather than solving the underlying issues causing that pain. The most common reason people seek care is pain, and many stop their treatment as soon as the pain subsides, even though the root problem may still persist. This creates a cycle where both patients and providers often rely on Band-Aid fixes, such as medications or temporary treatments, to address symptoms rather than solutions for long-term health.

I had to unlearn this mindset and shift my approach to fully assess and treat the body as a whole. This required additional training, research, and a commitment to understanding the interplay between various systems in the body. I’ve found that addressing the root causes of symptoms—rather than just alleviating them—yields far better results for my patients.

By adopting this holistic approach, I’ve been able to help patients who previously experienced only temporary relief or unresolved issues. This lesson has been transformative for my practice and for the outcomes I’ve achieved for my patients. It’s a reminder that the body’s complexity requires us to think beyond compartments and focus on true, integrative care.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://frinstitute.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/functionalrestorationinstitute/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088323560234
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sani-kohen-56b5522b6/
• Twitter: https://x.com/drsanikohen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FunctionalRestorationInstitute
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