Cardinal Chiropractic, Inc.

Cardinal Chiropractic, Inc. Cardinal Chiropractic offers chiropractic, acupuncture, weight-loss and massage therapy in the San F Welcome to Cardinal Chiropractic and Wellness!

We provide safe and effective relief from symptoms such as neck pain, back and shoulder pain, headaches, pinched nerves, sciatica and more, and we offer personalized treatment programs to prevent pain from recurring. Our patients obtain successful results through a collaborative partnership with their health care provider. Whether working with our chiropractor, acupuncturist or massage therapist,

at Cardinal Chiropractic you will benefit from the full support of our health care professionals. We are committed to ensuring you completely understand your diagnosis and treatment, and to providing you with the most effective treatment possible.We provide safe and natural corrective treatments that fix the problem not just the symptoms. Dr. Karri Cardinal’s unique approach to the spine is designed to relieve pain and restore optimum posture and health. Dr. Cardinal specializes in Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) adjusting. This technique focuses on correcting problems related to patients posture. Dr. Cardinal is the only advanced certified CBP chiropractor in San Francisco. We offer supervised weight loss with Ideal Protein. The Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method is an easy 4-phase medically designed protocol that helps stabilize the pancreas and blood sugar levels while burning fat and maintaining muscle and other lean tissue. Believing that prevention is elemental in maintaining youthfulness and vitality, Dr. Cardinal strives to educate people on health and wellness. In addition to weekly workshops in her office, she has taught at companies such as United Airlines, Whole Foods, Kaiser Hospital, Wells Fargo, W Hotel, UC Berkeley, and Prometheus Real Estate Group.

🧠📱 Is “Text Neck” Making Your Brain Work Overtime?A groundbreaking 2025 study published in Scientific Reports revealed s...
04/16/2026

🧠📱 Is “Text Neck” Making Your Brain Work Overtime?

A groundbreaking 2025 study published in Scientific Reports revealed something surprising: Forward Head Posture doesn’t just strain your neck — it actually forces your brain to work harder to keep you balanced.

For years, we’ve known that Forward Head Posture can cause neck and shoulder pain. But this new research shows there’s also a neurological cost. When your head shifts forward, your brain must constantly compensate to maintain stability — using valuable energy that should be available for focus, coordination, and everyday function.

In the study, 64 participants completed progressively challenging balance tasks. The results were clear: those with forward head posture showed significantly increased brain activity just to maintain balance. In other words, poor posture creates constant “background noise” for your nervous system.

✨ Better posture isn’t just about standing tall — it’s about helping your brain and body work more efficiently.

If you spend time on your phone, computer, or tablet, this is especially important to pay attention to. Small posture improvements today can make a big difference in how you feel and function tomorrow.

📖 Want to learn more? Read the research and discover how posture impacts your brain, balance, and energy.

HealthySpine Wellness

📢 New Research Alert: Posture Matters More Than You Think!A newly published study in Scientific Reports found that forwa...
04/11/2026

📢 New Research Alert: Posture Matters More Than You Think!

A newly published study in Scientific Reports found that forward head posture may be one of the biggest barriers to recovery for chronic neck pain. Even more eye-opening — researchers found that for every inch your head moves forward, the odds of successful recovery drop by 13%. 😮

Chronic neck pain is incredibly common and often frustrating. Many people try exercise, stretches, massage, or physical therapy — but still struggle to get lasting relief. This new research suggests why: if the underlying posture isn’t addressed, recovery may be limited.

Here’s what the study found:
✅ Forward head posture reduces recovery success
✅ Younger patients tend to recover faster
✅ Women showed higher success rates overall
✅ Over 60% of patients improved — but posture played a major role in outcomes

Forward head posture (when your head sits in front of your shoulders) increases stress on your neck, muscles, discs, and joints. Over time, this can contribute to chronic pain, fatigue, and stiffness. 📱💻

The takeaway?
It’s not just about treating symptoms — it’s about correcting the structure.

If you’ve been dealing with chronic neck pain, posture evaluation may be a missing piece of your recovery puzzle. Small changes in alignment can make a big difference in long-term results. 🙌

Your spine was designed to support you — let’s help it do its job better.

04/03/2026

🩻 Are Spine X-Rays Really Dangerous?
New Research Says… Maybe Not.

For years, many patients have been told to avoid spinal X-rays due to concerns about radiation exposure. But new research is challenging that long-standing belief — and the findings are worth paying attention to.

A recent commentary published in Dose‑Response: An International Journal by Oakley, Haas, and Harrison suggests that the fear surrounding routine spinal X-rays may be largely unfounded.

Here’s why this matters:

🔍 Spinal problems are often invisible
Many structural issues — like loss of cervical curve, scoliosis, or spinal misalignment — can’t be accurately identified without imaging.

⚠️ Avoiding X-rays may lead to missed diagnoses
Without objective measurements, treatment can become more guesswork than precision care.

📉 Modern X-ray radiation is extremely low
Today’s spinal X-rays expose patients to very small amounts of radiation — often comparable to everyday environmental exposure.

📚 The research questions long-held assumptions
The authors also challenge the long-standing Linear No‑Threshold Model, which assumes any amount of radiation increases cancer risk. According to the commentary, newer evidence suggests low-dose radiation may not carry the risks once believed.

What does this mean for patients?
It means imaging — when used appropriately — can be an important tool for understanding spinal health, tracking progress, and creating more personalized care plans.

Your spine is unique.
Your care should be too. 💙

If you’ve ever wondered whether imaging could help better understand your posture, neck pain, headaches, or back issues, I’m always happy to talk and see if it makes sense for you.

NeckPain BackPain CBP HealthySpine

Why is shavasana my favorite pose? Not because it’s easy. 💪 Recovery: Where the Real Gains HappenWe often focus on worko...
03/26/2026

Why is shavasana my favorite pose? Not because it’s easy.

💪 Recovery: Where the Real Gains Happen

We often focus on workouts, nutrition, and pushing harder — but one of the most overlooked pieces of health and wellness is recovery. The truth is, you don’t actually get stronger during your workout… you get stronger during recovery.

Exercise creates stress on your muscles, joints, and nervous system. It’s during rest that your body repairs, rebuilds, and adapts — making you stronger, more resilient, and healthier. Without proper recovery, your body stays in a constant state of breakdown instead of growth.

Recovery isn’t just about taking a day off. It includes:
✨ Quality sleep
✨ Proper hydration
✨ Good nutrition
✨ Mobility and stretching
✨ Stress management
✨ Chiropractic care and body alignment

When recovery is neglected, you may notice:
• Increased soreness that lingers
• Fatigue or low energy
• Decreased performance
• More aches and pains
• Higher risk of injury

On the other hand, when you prioritize recovery, you’ll often experience:
✔️ Better workouts
✔️ Improved strength and endurance
✔️ Reduced pain and stiffness
✔️ Better mood and mental clarity
✔️ Long-term health and wellness

Remember: Recovery is not a sign of weakness — it’s a key part of progress.

If you’re working hard but not seeing the results you want, it may not be that you need to do more… you may need to recover better.

Your body grows, heals, and strengthens when you give it the time and support it needs.

Train hard. Recover smarter. Thrive longer🌿

🧠📚 Exciting news in the world of spinal health!A newly published study has shown that true cervical kyphosis—a reversal ...
03/10/2026

🧠📚 Exciting news in the world of spinal health!

A newly published study has shown that true cervical kyphosis—a reversal of the normal curve in the neck—can be corrected without surgery using CBP® extension traction techniques. Even more impressive, the study followed patients for years and found that the structural improvements and pain relief were maintained long-term. 🙌

Your neck is designed to have a healthy “C-shaped” curve that helps absorb shock, balance the weight of your head, and protect your nervous system. When that curve is lost or reversed, it can lead to pain, dysfunction, and long-term spinal stress. Research like this continues to highlight how restoring proper spinal alignment can make a meaningful difference in both structure and symptoms.

It’s always exciting to see science supporting what we work toward every day—helping patients restore healthier spinal alignment and function. 💙

✨ I’m Grateful for Your Trust ✨Nothing means more to my practice than hearing how your care has made a difference in yo...
03/04/2026

✨ I’m Grateful for Your Trust ✨

Nothing means more to my practice than hearing how your care has made a difference in your life.

Whether it’s relief from chronic back or neck pain, returning to activities you love, improving posture, or simply feeling more confident in your health — your results matter.

Patient reviews are more than kind words. They’re real stories of restored mobility, improved health, and renewed energy. They reflect the commitment I make to provide personalized, evidence-based care every single day.




📚✨ New Research Alert: Posture Correction Can Improve Disc Health! ✨📚Big news in the world of spinal rehab! A newly publ...
02/25/2026

📚✨ New Research Alert: Posture Correction Can Improve Disc Health! ✨📚

Big news in the world of spinal rehab! A newly published study in the peer-reviewed journal Bioengineering shows that posture-focused spinal rehabilitation can do more than just reduce neck pain — it can actually improve cervical disc height and spinal alignment. 🙌

The study, titled “Increased Cervical Disc Height and Decreased Neck Pain and Disability Following Improvement in Cervical Lordosis and Posture Using Chiropractic BioPhysics®,” followed 64 patients who hadn’t improved with traditional chiropractic, PT, or medical care.

Using Chiropractic BioPhysics® (CBP®) protocols — including Mirror Image® adjustments, corrective exercises, and cervical extension traction — researchers found measurable structural changes in the spine.

Here’s what they discovered 👇

🔹 Disc Height Restoration
Patients showed a statistically significant increase in cervical disc height (C2–C7) after improving their cervical curve.

🔹 Better Curve = Less Pain
Restoring the natural cervical lordosis was directly linked to decreased neck pain and disability scores.

🔹 Hope for “Plateaued” Patients
These were patients who had already tried “standard” care without success. Structural correction appears to be the missing link for chronic cases.

🔹 Objective, Measurable Change
Using validated radiographic measurements, researchers confirmed that improving sagittal alignment creates a better mechanical and biological environment for disc health and nutrient exchange.

As lead author Evan Katz, DC, stated:

“When you fix the structure, the biology follows.”

This is powerful because it shifts the conversation from just managing symptoms to actually improving spinal structure and disc integrity. 🧠➡️🦴

For patients struggling with chronic neck pain, forward head posture, or degenerative disc changes, this research reinforces what we see clinically every day: posture matters. Alignment matters. Structure matters.

If you’d like to read the full open-access study, it’s available through MDPI’s journal Bioengineering.

Have questions about your posture or cervical curve? Let’s talk. 💬

🌟 Patient of the Month: Marc A. 🌟When Marc first came into the office, he was struggling with significant lower back pai...
02/24/2026

🌟 Patient of the Month: Marc A. 🌟

When Marc first came into the office, he was struggling with significant lower back pain caused by a sequestered disc at L5/S1. His pain was limiting his mobility, affecting daily activities, and keeping him out of the water — and if you know Marc, you know that not surfing is not an option. 🏄‍♂️

A sequestered disc means that a fragment of the disc has broken off and is irritating nearby nerves. At the L5/S1 level, this can create intense lower back pain, sciatica, weakness, and stiffness. But what made Marc’s case more complex was that his spine wasn’t just dealing with a local disc injury.

On evaluation, we also found a reverse curve in his cervical spine (neck).

Here’s why that matters 👇

Your spinal cord runs from your brain down through your neck and into your lower back. When the normal cervical lordosis (forward curve) is lost or reversed, it creates abnormal tension along the spinal cord — a concept known as adverse mechanical cord tension.

That tension can:
🔹 Increase stress throughout the entire spinal column
🔹 Amplify inflammation around an already injured disc
🔹 Make lower back symptoms more persistent and harder to resolve
🔹 Reduce the body’s ability to stabilize and heal properly

In other words — even though the pain was in his lower back, his neck alignment was contributing to the problem.

Marc committed fully to his corrective care plan. 💪

We addressed:
✅ Disc stabilization and decompression strategies at L5/S1
✅ Cervical curve correction to reduce spinal cord tension
✅ Postural rehabilitation
✅ Mobility and functional strength

Fast forward to the end of his treatment plan…

✨ 0/10 pain
✨ Full mobility restored
✨ Back in the ocean surfing again 🌊🏄‍♂️

This is why we don’t just chase symptoms — we look at the spine as a whole system. True correction means addressing the root cause, not just masking the pain.

Marc, your consistency and trust in the process made all the difference. We’re so proud of your progress! 👏

If you’re dealing with disc pain, sciatica, or chronic spinal issues, know that there is a structured, corrective path forward. Your spine is designed to move well — and when it does, your life opens back up. 🙌

🚨 BIG NEWS for Chronic Low Back Pain 🚨A breakthrough study published in Scientific Reports (a top-tier, Q1 scientific jo...
02/04/2026

🚨 BIG NEWS for Chronic Low Back Pain 🚨

A breakthrough study published in Scientific Reports (a top-tier, Q1 scientific journal from Springer Nature) just confirmed what many clinicians have seen for years👇

🧠💡 Restoring the natural curve of the low back (lumbar lordosis) leads to real, meaningful relief for the vast majority of chronic low back pain patients.

🔬 What did the research show?
Using advanced machine-learning analysis of 431 chronic low back pain patients, researchers found:

✅ 80% achieved meaningful pain relief
✅ 95% achieved meaningful improvement in disability
✅ Better spinal alignment = better outcomes
✅ Treatment frequency, duration & patient compliance matter
✅ Results were predictable, reliable, and reproducible

📉 This wasn’t “generic traction.”
The study clearly distinguishes lumbar extension traction (designed to restore the spine’s natural curve) from traditional traction methods that often flatten the spine and miss the real problem.

📸 The research also reinforces the importance of proper spinal imaging, showing that alignment measurements help:
✔️ Choose the right patients
✔️ Personalize care
✔️ Predict outcomes more accurately

🗣️ “When you restore lumbar lordosis using a precise, biomechanically sound approach, patients don’t just feel better — they function better.”
— Dr. Deed E. Harrison, senior author

✨ This study represents a major step toward precision-based, data-driven spine care — combining biomechanics, imaging, and machine learning to get better results without surgery.

📖 Real data. Real patients. Real results.
🔗 Read the research and see why this is changing how chronic low back pain is treated.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-38059-9

Biomechanics ScientificResearch PrecisionMedicine PostureMatters 🦴

I am honored to be recognized as one of the Top 3 Chiropractors in San Francisco 🏆This award reflects my commitment to e...
01/28/2026

I am honored to be recognized as one of the Top 3 Chiropractors in San Francisco 🏆

This award reflects my commitment to evidence-based care, individualized treatment, and helping my community move and live better every day.

Thank you to my incredible patients for trusting me with your health —I am honored to care for you.

ChiropracticWorks

🦴🧠 Big Study. Big Results for Neck Pain.A major 2-year clinical study just confirmed something important in neck pain ca...
01/27/2026

🦴🧠 Big Study. Big Results for Neck Pain.

A major 2-year clinical study just confirmed something important in neck pain care:

👉 Fixing the neck’s natural curve = better long-term results.

Researchers followed patients with chronic pinched-nerve neck pain (cervical radiculopathy) and compared:
✔️ Standard care alone
✔️ Standard care plus treatment to restore the neck curve

📊 What they found:

✅ The neck curve was restored — and stayed improved for 2 years
✅ Neck and arm pain continued to improve long after treatment ended
✅ Nerve function objectively improved 🧠⚡
✅ Patients relied less on medications, including stopping opioid use 💊⬇️

⚠️ Patients who only received symptom-based care improved short-term — but symptoms and nerve function worsened over time.

💡 The takeaway:
Short-term pain relief isn’t the same as long-term healing.
When care focuses on correcting spinal structure, patients do better — for years.

✨ Better alignment
✨ Better nerve health
✨ Better long-term outcomes

Address

47 Kearny Street, Suite 601
San Francisco, CA
94108

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 11am - 6:30pm
Friday 11am - 6:30pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cardinal Chiropractic, Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category