Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery

03/06/2026

We just received another great review on Google:

03/05/2026

If your shoulder feels stiff, achy, or like it just won’t move the way it used to… this is one of the ways we help restore motion.

In this video, Dr. Andy is performing a side-lying shoulder mobilization, a very comfortable position that allows us to gently restore movement to the shoulder joint.

This technique is especially helpful for patients dealing with:
• Shoulder osteoarthritis
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
• General stiffness during our Non-Surgical Shoulder Recovery Program

When the shoulder becomes painful or inflamed, the joint capsule tightens and movement becomes restricted. Instead of forcing motion, we use controlled joint mobilization in a relaxed position so the shoulder can start moving again without aggravating the tissue.

Patients often notice:
✓ Less stiffness
✓ Better overhead motion
✓ Less pain with daily activities

Restoring motion is one of the first steps toward getting your shoulder back to normal function.

If your shoulder feels stuck, painful, or limited, it might be time to get it checked.

03/05/2026

Quick Pickleball Warm Up

Pickleball season is heating up — but are you warming up first?

Jumping straight into play without preparing your body can lead to common issues like back tightness, elbow irritation, or shoulder discomfort. A quick warm-up helps activate muscles, improve mobility, and get your body ready for the fast movements on the court.

Take a couple minutes before your next match to prep your body so you can play stronger and feel better after the game.

03/04/2026

MCL injuries are one of the most common knee injuries we see in active adults and athletes. They often happen when the knee gets pushed inward while the foot is planted. Think quick changes of direction in sports like soccer, pickleball, or basketball, or even a slip where the knee twists the wrong way.

Most people feel pain along the inside of the knee, sometimes with swelling, tenderness to touch, and discomfort when walking, pivoting, or going down stairs.

When you come into the office, we are looking for a few key things:
• Tenderness along the inside ligament of the knee
• Pain or looseness when we stress the MCL during testing
• Swelling around the joint
• Weakness or instability in the hip, knee, or ankle that may have contributed to the injury

Once we know exactly what’s going on, treatment is focused on helping the ligament heal and getting you moving confidently again. Depending on the case, that may include:
• Targeted rehab exercises to restore knee stability
• Soft tissue and joint work to restore normal motion
• Shockwave therapy to stimulate healing in stubborn ligament injuries
• Laser therapy to reduce inflammation and speed recovery

Most MCL injuries respond really well to the right combination of treatment and rehab. The goal is not just getting you out of pain, but getting you back to the activities you enjoy without worrying about your knee.

If your knee pain is on the inside of the joint, it might be your MCL.

03/02/2026

03/02/2026

Your (and Dr. Andy’s 🤣) shoulder is out of the sling.
Pain is better.

Now what?

This is Step 2 of shoulder rehab.

Once we calm things down after surgery or a rotator cuff injury, the next goal is simple:

👉 Restore motion safely above 90°.

In this phase, we use a PVC pipe for assisted range of motion. It lets the good arm help guide the recovering shoulder overhead without forcing it.

Why this matters:

• Prevents stiffness and frozen shoulder
• Rebuilds confidence moving overhead
• Restores clean movement before adding load
• Protects healing tissue while we improve mobility

This is not strengthening yet.
This is controlled mobility.

We don’t load a shoulder that can’t move well.

If you’re stuck at shoulder height, feel tight reaching overhead, or you’re post-surgery and unsure what to do next, this is the bridge between “out of pain” and “back to normal.”

Mobility first.
Strength next.
Performance later.

That’s how we keep active adults from declining.

02/27/2026

Healing Starts With the Right Environment

02/26/2026

Why is Dr. Andy wearing a compression sleeve??

Ever notice elbow swelling and tenderness after being in a sling for weeks? Hint: Dr. Andy certainly knows now!

We see this all the time.

Post shoulder surgery
Rotational athletes
Overhead athletes
Anyone who’s been protecting an arm for too long

That elbow starts to take a hit.

Most commonly, it shows up as elbow bursitis. Swelling. Tenderness. Pain when you lean on it or try to push up out of a chair.

In this video, we’re using shockwave therapy to calm down irritation, improve circulation, and stimulate healing in the irritated tissue.

This is why we don’t just adjust and hope.
We look at the whole kinetic chain.

If you’ve had shoulder surgery and now your elbow is barking at you, that’s not random. It’s compensation.

And if you’re a tennis player, golfer, or thrower with swelling in the elbow, don’t ignore it and hope it settles down.

Address it early. Fix it fully. Get back to training without worrying about the next flare up.

If your elbow is swollen, stiff, or painful, DM us “ELBOW” and we’ll see if you’re a good fit for care.

02/25/2026

Can we use shockwave therapy for discs?

Back pain that runs down the leg isn’t just “tight muscles.”
Sometimes the real win is calming inflammation so your body can finally do its job.

02/23/2026

Poor Dr. Andy and his broken collarbone 🤣

Are you like Dr Andy, post-surgery on your shoulder or elbow and not allowed to lift heavy yet?

This is one of our new favorite tools.

Here I’m using a simple blood pressure cuff for Blood Flow Restriction training on my arm. It lets us create a serious training stimulus with very light weight.

Why that matters:

• You can’t load heavy after surgery
• You still need to stimulate muscle
• You want to prevent atrophy
• You want strength to come back faster

BFR allows us to use light loads while safely challenging the muscle. That means less stress on healing tissue and more progress in recovery.

This is especially helpful for post-op shoulders, elbows, and even stubborn tendon cases where heavy loading just isn’t appropriate yet.

I’ve been learning more about this from some sharp colleagues and integrating it into how we rehab our active adults and athletes.

Rehab isn’t just about getting out of pain.
It’s about rebuilding strength the right way.

If you’ve had surgery and feel like you’re losing muscle or not progressing fast enough, let’s talk.

02/21/2026

When Pain Travels, the Clues Matter