Cardinal Family Chiropractic

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Cardinal Family Chiropractic

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Welcome to Cardinal Family Chiropractic, PA, your Southern Pines, NC chiropractor!

10/22/2026

Q: Can spinal alignment affect your hips and knees?

A: Absolutely—and here’s how.

We all live in a gravity-filled, weight-bearing environment. Your body needs strength, stability, balance, and proper alignment to manage the forces involved in walking, running, sitting, and completing everyday activities.

Changes in alignment or joint function can affect the way your body moves. Sometimes a problem may seem to begin in the feet and gradually influence the knees, hips, pelvis, and spine. In other cases, altered movement through the spine, pelvis, sacrum, or sacroiliac joints may change how weight and force are distributed through the lower body.

These changes may eventually contribute to symptoms such as pain, fatigue, stiffness, reduced mobility, or decreased performance. Your hips and knees are especially sensitive to changes in balance, posture, and movement.

The body is also extremely good at compensating. A joint problem may not create obvious symptoms in its early stages, but your body may begin shifting weight or changing the way you walk to accommodate it. Over time, the hips, knees, ankles, or feet may begin taking on additional stress.

Changes in your ability to walk, run, jump, climb stairs, or complete normal daily activities may indicate that something is not functioning properly. You might even notice subtle signs, such as uneven wear on your shoes or clothing fitting differently from one side to the other.

Because hip and knee symptoms can have many possible causes, a thorough examination is important. Dr. Kuhns can evaluate your spinal and pelvic alignment, joint function, posture, and movement to help identify what may be contributing and recommend the appropriate next steps.

Be the best you can be. Call Dr. Kuhns and start giving your body the attention and support it needs!

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/20/2026

Your hip and knee work as a team.

Walking may feel automatic, but it requires coordinated movement through your hips, knees, ankles, and feet.

When one area becomes stiff, weak, painful, or moves differently, another area may begin taking on more of the work. For example:

• Limited hip movement may change how the knee tracks
• Weakness around the hip may affect stability through the leg
• An ankle or foot problem may change the way you walk
• Pain may cause you to shift your weight or shorten your stride

These compensations can be helpful in the moment, but repeating an altered movement pattern may eventually create discomfort somewhere else.

That is why focusing only on the area that hurts may not reveal the entire picture. A thorough evaluation should consider how your body moves as a connected system.

If hip or knee pain keeps returning, Dr. Kuhns can evaluate your posture, alignment, gait, and joint function to help determine what may be contributing.

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/19/2026

Why does my knee hurt when I use stairs?

Walking up and down stairs asks more of your knees than walking across a flat surface. Your muscles must control and support your body weight while your knee bends under added pressure.

Discomfort on stairs may be related to:

• Irritation around the kneecap
• Muscle weakness or fatigue
• Limited mobility through the hips or ankles
• Changes in the way your hip, knee, or foot moves
• Increasing your activity too quickly
• A previous injury or underlying joint problem

You may notice that going downstairs feels worse because the muscles surrounding your knee must work to control your body as you lower yourself onto the next step.

Avoid assuming that recurring knee pain is simply a normal part of getting older. The knee may be where you feel the discomfort, but evaluating how your hips, knees, ankles, and feet work together can help identify what may be contributing.

If your knee pain persists, worsens, or begins limiting your everyday activities, Dr. Kuhns can perform an individualized evaluation and recommend appropriate next steps.

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/15/2026

Could your daily habits be irritating your shoulder?

Shoulder discomfort isn’t always connected to one obvious injury. Sometimes, small movements and positions repeated throughout the day gradually begin irritating the area.

Common contributors may include:

• Frequently reaching overhead or behind you
• Carrying a heavy bag on the same shoulder
• Working with your arms extended away from your body
• Repeating the same movement at work, home, or the gym
• Spending long periods with rounded shoulders or a forward head position
• Continuing an activity even after discomfort begins

Your shoulders are designed to move—but they also need variety, support, and time to recover.

Try alternating the side you use when carrying items, keeping frequently used objects within comfortable reach, changing positions regularly, and taking breaks from repetitive tasks.

If the same shoulder pain keeps returning, don’t simply assume you need to “push through it.” Dr. Kuhns can evaluate your shoulder, neck, posture, and movement to help identify what may be contributing.

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/13/2026

Q: Is this shoulder pain possibly coming from my neck?

A: It is extremely common for various types of shoulder pain to actually originate from a neck problem.

One way this occurs is through something called “referred pain.” This happens when dysfunction in one area of the body—such as the cervical spine—sends or “refers” a pain signal to another area, such as the shoulder.

When we perceive pain in the shoulder, we may become convinced that the shoulder or arm must be the source of the problem. In reality, the cause of the pain may be coming from the neck.

Another common example is a lower-back injury causing pain that travels into the leg, often referred to as sciatica. Although the pain felt in the leg may be intense and difficult to tolerate, the source of that pain may be in the lower back.

Once a nerve coming from the spine becomes irritated—and it does not take much to irritate a nerve—pain may be felt anywhere along that nerve’s pathway. Cervical or neck problems can occur in a similar fashion. Irritated nerves in the neck may cause pain or other uncomfortable sensations that travel into the shoulder, elbow, arm, or hand.

You might think it requires a major trauma for this to occur, but that is not always true. Poor posture and years of accumulated tension and stress may also contribute to these symptoms.

Symptoms such as shoulder pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or hypersensitivity in the shoulder and arm may sometimes be connected to neck or cervical dysfunction. However, these symptoms can also have other causes, which is why a proper evaluation matters.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, don’t wait. Call Dr. Kuhns to schedule an evaluation. You deserve to feel and function at your best!

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/12/2026

Why does my shoulder hurt when I sleep?

Shoulder pain can feel especially noticeable at night—and your sleeping position may be part of the picture.

Sleeping directly on a sore shoulder can place added pressure on already-sensitive muscles, tendons, joints, or surrounding tissues. Your arm’s position may also place the shoulder under strain, especially when it remains overhead, tucked beneath your pillow, or unsupported for hours.

Try giving your shoulder a little more support:

• Avoid sleeping directly on the painful side
• If you sleep on your opposite side, hug a pillow to support the sore arm
• If you sleep on your back, place a small pillow beneath the affected arm
• Avoid sleeping with your arm extended overhead
• Make sure your pillow supports your neck without pushing it too far forward

Nighttime shoulder pain can have several possible causes, so the right solution depends on what is actually contributing to it.

If shoulder pain repeatedly interrupts your sleep, limits your movement, or continues to worsen, it deserves a proper evaluation.

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/08/2026

Your shoulders carry more than you realize.

Groceries. Work bags. Children. Long hours at a desk. Repetitive tasks. Workouts. Stress.

Your shoulders help you reach, lift, carry, push, pull, and complete countless everyday movements—often without receiving much attention until something begins to hurt.

Take a moment to check in with your body:

• Are your shoulders lifted toward your ears?
• Are you repeatedly carrying weight on the same side?
• Have you been sitting or working in one position for too long?
• Are you continuing to push through discomfort?

Pause. Let your shoulders relax. Change positions and move gently.

Recurring pain, weakness, or limited movement is your body’s way of telling you that something needs attention. Dr. Kuhns can evaluate your neck, shoulders, posture, and movement to help identify what may be contributing.

You ask a lot of your shoulders every day—give them the care and attention they deserve. 🤍

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/06/2026

ASK DR. KUHNS

Q: What are the most common pickleball injuries, and can I prevent them?

A: Common pickleball injuries can affect the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet. As pickleball has rapidly grown in popularity, healthcare providers—including chiropractic offices—have seen more players seeking care for injuries, pain, and movement-related concerns.

Major acute injuries, such as a suspected fracture, significant tear, or rupture, may require immediate medical evaluation. For many other injuries and areas of discomfort, players often seek care to address the underlying problem, improve stability, and safely return to the court.

There are several things every player should do regularly to prepare:

• Begin with dynamic movements that engage the muscles you will use on the court.
• Save longer, static stretches for after you finish playing.
• Pay attention to any strains, aches, or unusual discomfort that develop during play.
• Stay hydrated with clean, filtered water and quality electrolytes when appropriate.
• Stop playing if you experience sharp or sudden pain.
• Wear supportive court shoes, comfortable clothing, and quality eye protection.

If you plan to play regularly or competitively, you also need a reliable conditioning program that improves your strength, stamina, balance, and durability—even if you consider yourself only a “weekend warrior.”
Chiropractic care may be one part of addressing many court-related injuries, movement restrictions, and areas of weakness. Dr. Kuhns evaluates concerns involving the spine and extremities, including overuse injuries; plantar fasciitis; sprains and strains involving the knees, ankles, and hips; and discomfort affecting the shoulders, wrists, and hands.

Dr. Kuhns can help identify what may be limiting you and guide you toward improving your mobility, flexibility, comfort, and readiness to play.
The goal is not simply to perform better on the court. It is to help you move and function better in everyday life, too!

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

10/06/2026

**Can chiropractic care make me a better pickleball athlete?**

Your paddle matters—but so does the body holding it. 🏓

Pickleball asks a lot of you: quick reactions, controlled rotation, balance, and sudden changes in direction. When pain or stiffness makes those movements uncomfortable, it can affect how you play.

Chiropractic care may help address certain muscle and joint complaints. For some people with low-back pain, spinal manipulation can offer modest improvements in pain and everyday function.

That doesn’t guarantee a stronger serve or a better rating. Improving your game still takes practice, strength, conditioning, and recovery—but addressing discomfort can be one part of supporting your time on the court.

Dr. Kuhns can evaluate what’s limiting your movement and recommend an individualized plan, including care and guidance when appropriate.

Whether you’re learning to dink or taking tournament play seriously, your body deserves attention beyond the scoreboard.

Tag your favorite doubles partner! 💚

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

09/28/2026

Can chiropractic care make me a better pickleball athlete?

Your paddle matters—but so does the body holding it. 🏓

Pickleball asks a lot of you: quick reactions, controlled rotation, balance, and sudden changes in direction. When pain or stiffness makes those movements uncomfortable, it can affect how you play.

Chiropractic care may help address certain muscle and joint complaints. For some people with low-back pain, spinal manipulation can offer modest improvements in pain and everyday function.

That doesn’t guarantee a stronger serve or a better rating. Improving your game still takes practice, strength, conditioning, and recovery—but addressing discomfort can be one part of supporting your time on the court.

Dr. Kuhns can evaluate what’s limiting your movements and recommend an individualized plan, including care and guidance.

Whether you’re learning to dink or taking tournament play seriously, your body deserves attention beyond the scoreboard.

Tag your favorite doubles partner! 💚

📍 Cardinal Family Chiropractic
📞 (910) 725-0131
🌐 cardinalfamchiro.com

Address

281 West Pennsylvania Avenue
Southern Pines, NC
28387

Telephone

+19107250131

Website

https://www.cardinalfamchiro.com/

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