October 20, 2022 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976
Physical therapist on a mission Botched rehab as child set path for life’s work By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Lauren Sok was a preteen when she knew she wanted to go into physical therapy. At age 12, she broke her elbow. To this day, she can’t fully bend her arm due to a botched physical therapy experience. Sok, who owns Functionize Health & Physical Therapy in Decatur and Dunwoody, might just fit the stereotype of someone who would own a physical therapy clinic. With a pixie cut, athletic attire and a powerful stance and voice that fill up a room, despite short stature, Sok said her childhood injury and resulting physical therapy experience launched her on a path to becoming a physical therapist. She decided she never wanted someone to go to physical therapy and not meet their goals. Nor did she want someone to go through the same pain of rehabbing something, like she did with her elbow. After high school, Sok went straight into a physical therapy fast-track master’s program, earning her degree in 2000. Since then, she’s earned certifications in Selective Functional Movement Assessment, Trigger Point Dry Needling, Women’s Health and Stott Pilates. Functionize first opened in Decatur in 2015. And in March, Sok opened a second location in Dunwoody on Nandina Lane. Sok’s business idea was sparked by frustrations in her 16 years
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DeKalb County Schools, which includes Dunwoody High, saw an overall increase in graduation rates.
School systems record increase in high school graduation rate By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com
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Lauren Sok, owner of Functionize Health & Physical Therapy, stands next to her business sign at the Dunwoody location Oct. 11. Sok started her physical therapy business in Decatur in 2015, then expanded to Dunwoody this year. 05-09-12_Layout 1 5/4/12 1:57 PM Page 1
of partnering with traditional physical she branched out with an established therapy companies, where one-on-one clinic to treat the “everyday athlete.” with clients wasn’t the norm. Sok said a big misconception about Before opening Functionize, she physical therapy is that it’s just for began doing concierge physical therapy. injuries. She recalled going door-to-door around “We believe if AND you SEE have a body, you’re COME IN THE Cushion Cut Atlanta, carrying her table and a bag of an athlete,” Sok said. “Just like every NEWDiamonds SOHO BRACELETS JUST IN TIME FOR supplies that she would use to treat peo-3/4 carat G, S12 MOTHER$1950.00 ’S DAY. PHYSICAL, Page 10 F, VS2 See$4980.00 ple. When Sok built a sizable client base,1.00 carat
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ATLANTA — Graduation rates for counties in north Metro Atlanta are on the rise, according to data released by the Georgia Department of Education Oct. 6. Data for Georgia’s high-school graduation rate in 2022 shows that many north metro school districts, including Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties, experienced signif-
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