Dr. Tania Pence

There are several reasons why people may be scared of surgery, including:

Fear of the unknown: Surgery is often associated with uncertainty and the unknown, and many people may be scared of what the procedure will involve, the potential risks, and the outcome.

Fear of pain: The thought of undergoing a surgical procedure may cause anxiety and fear due to the potential for pain and discomfort during and after the surgery.

Fear of complications: People may be worried about the potential for complications during or after the surgery, such as infection, bleeding, or other adverse outcomes.

Shoulder pain can have many causes, but some common ones include:

😥Rotator cuff injuries or tears - These are injuries to the muscles and tendons in the shoulder that can cause pain and weakness.

😓Tendinitis - Inflammation of the tendons in the shoulder, which can cause pain and stiffness.
Bursitis - Inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs in the shoulder that cushion the joints, which can cause pain and stiffness.

😩Arthritis - Wear and tear on the joints in the shoulder, which can cause pain and stiffness.
Fractures - A broken bone in the shoulder can cause pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the arm.

😖Frozen shoulder - A condition in which the shoulder becomes stiff and difficult to move, usually due to injury or surgery.

😔Poor posture or repetitive motions - These can lead to muscle imbalances and overuse injuries in the shoulder.

Osteoarthritis- it's a degenerative joint disease that affects the cartilage that cushions the joints, it causes pain and stiffness.

It's always important to see a doctor if you have persistent or severe shoulder pain, as they can help diagnose the specific cause and recommend the appropriate treatment.

If you have shoulder pain how often does it bother you?

I hope you are finding real value on this page!

My hope I’m starting all this was to ultimately help ease the anxiety and fear that many people experience going into shoulder surgery.

I have felt the pain and disappointment that comes from our “modern medical“ system. In the hopes to reach people in the comfort of their home.

I have put together the ultimate shoulder preparation course for that purpose. I believe that it is the most comprehensive place to meet all the needs for somebody wanting to have a stress free experience.

Please Reach out to me as I would love to help! Feel free to DM me or join the private shoulder surgery group that I have already started!

So I’m having shoulder surgery on exactly how do I get dressed?

This may or may not be something that has crossed your mind since deciding to go forward with shoulder surgery. There definitely is a lot of things to consider that can really make the process go much more smoothly. Patients frequently find it easier do you have a few items prepared for themselves at home prior to the event.

At least initially it is somewhat painful and difficult to get dressed. Sometimes people find it easier to have a size up or two of a pull over or button up shirt. Some people elect to not remove the sling to do this and will just pull the entire item over the sling and arm itself.

Additionally depending on whether this is your dominant or non-dominant arm thinking of things such as how you will pick up items and the positioning of the space in which you’ve chosen for the majority of your recovery. The first thing that comes to mind is what side the side table is on can really make a difference and the ability to reach and get things.

Other things to consider especially for dominant arm side surgery. Is how to best try to hold items and even minor things such as how to cook your food. If you are making meals ahead of time it’s wise to make some thing that are easy to eat and even cut it into pieces prior to the procedure. One less thing to worry about later!

As always I will be covering a lot more in my private shoulder surgery group and would love to have you there!

This too shall pass

A list of things that make recovery a smoother process after shoulder surgery

Well it’s almost impossible to make a comprehensive list there are definitely a few things that hit higher on the list of things to think about.🧐

A couple of very key elements in how people perceive their recovery is going are sleep and General well-being.

Shoulder surgery patients generally find it easier frequently to try to sleep in a recliner or on an elevated surface in bed. The reason for that is a bit unknown although it seems that the support of the shoulder and it not migrating backwards during the sleep process is helpful.

Some of the immediate postoperative suggestions tend to include things such as ice. There are several different ways to do this including ice in a plastic bag, ice packs, frozen vegetables. There are even machines that are specifically made to are use the shoulder!

The other thing that post surgical patients frequently find helpful are premade meals especially if the individual does not have help.

I will be discussing a more comprehensive list in my private shoulder surgery group which is listed on this page!

Yet another happy Monday!

This week I want to focus on the physical aspects of how to best navigate post surgical recovery. Now some of you may be thinking I am talking about the bodily aspects of the physical.

What I am really talking about is what your home environment is set up like and things that we can do for ourselves ahead of time to ease the path in our early recovery especially. This week I will focus on several things that you can do to set yourself up for success!

Hopefully you are finding a lot of good information in tidbits for your surgery and recovery!

Surgery can be such an anxiety producing and scary endeavor let alone the recovery that people face afterwards! 😥

I am so passionate about educating and helping people have a simpler and less stressful path to surgery.

I have spent much time contemplating how to best do this and I have come up with the three pillars of surgical success for shoulders! Nowhere on the Internet will you be able to find such comprehensive and in depth dive all in one place!

In this program you will find the education needed to understand the anatomy of the shoulder and what causes its pain. Additionally I have a whole section dedicated to being mentally prepared for surgery and demystifying the process as well as giving practical tips on how to manage the stress and anxiety of the process. Lastly I deep dive into the physical preparation that people need! We are not talking just your physical body but also your environment!

If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the thought of shoulder surgery I am here for you! Let me ease your path and make the process virtually stress-free.

I am an orthopedic surgeon with over 14 years of experience and practice. I have felt the pain of patients as they struggle to make decisions both in their life and related to possibly having to have surgery as well as their path towards recovery. Unfortunately with how 'modern' medicine is set up there is a little time provided to give the patients all the tools that they need for a successful surgery.

I have two paths to choose just you including my private shoulder surgery group as well as the comprehensive shoulder surgery course! I fully participate and moderate the group making it a safe and supportive environment.

The group link is on this page and DM me if you would like to check out course! I can't wait to help you! 💛

To wrap up a great work week I have decided to talk about the most commonly asked questions which is how do I know if the rotator cuff is torn or not?

There really is no way to tell absolutely that the rotator cuff is torn or not especially on exam. Quite frequently people can compensate fairly well and we can get fooled on exam and to believing that the rotator cuff is not torn because we are not finding weakness on the exam. Additionally, the MRI can be helpful in diagnosing a rotator cuff tear but as with all tests the MRI is not 100%. I frequently say that they may under call a tear or on rarer occasions may be missed altogether.

One of the other commonly asked questions is why is this keeping me up at night? To tell you the truth I don’t know that I have a good answer for this one. I do think to a certain degree especially with shoulders that the act of laying in bed and how the shoulder or arm drops causes discomfort and propping the arm up or sitting in a recliner can alleviate that issue to a certain degree. I do also think to a certain extent that our mind is quite active during the day and when we are given the ability to rest the mind has more time to focus on the pain.

As always I would love to hear any of your questions or comments!

Hit me up with your orthopedic questions!

One of the most common questions I get about the shoulder is if the problem is in my shoulder why does my arm, bicep, tricep, or neck hurt? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The answer is far as the arm or bicep can be rather simplistic in that sometimes with shoulder issues or rotator cuff problems the pain can be referred into the upper arm. It is a common referral pattern much like hip pain commonly being in the groin or upper thigh.

As far as the neck is concerned a lot of times when the shoulder is not functioning well or hurts people will substitute the motion with other muscles that are connected into the upper back and neck region. These muscles are not built to do this type of work and will frequently get sore secondary to the misuse.

Lastly one can develop issues with the bicep tendon that runs into the shoulder joint and people will get pain and or cramping and their bicep or upper arm related to the tendon issues in the shoulder.

Please reach out or comment below so that I can answer your questions as well! Thanks

Happy Monday!

This week I would like to take the time to answer any questions anybody has about Orthopedics or shoulder and shoulder surgery itself. Feel free to comment below or reach out to me if there are any particular questions. I would much prefer to answer someone else’s questions then to listen to my own😂. In the spirit of wanting to provide you with as much information as possible I have also teed up some commonly asked questions that will be previewing in the next couple days

Something to live by and especially in the stress of surgery

One of the most simplest techniques is from one of my favorite authors Byron Katie. And what you do is take a distressing thought and ask yourself this simple question. Who would I be without that thought? Most often the answer to this question is happier, calmer, or relaxed. Why I feel like this technique is particularly useful is that frequently we spend time fearing the future and the what ifs. Unfortunately there is not much that we can do to control the future but much we can do in the present to control our future thoughts.

I would love to take a deeper dive on this with you!

Mindset:

In terms of how people deal with pain and also the fear of the pain of surgery your mindset can be of upmost importance. The majority of us have gone through life with the belief that our thoughts are absolute and we do not have a choice in them. Unfortunately we miss a great opportunity to help cultivate peace and subsequently a better experience for ourselves in our lives.

This week I will spend some time on several techniques that can be used to help our mental mindset throughout our life and especially in regards to surgery.

Hopefully you are finding a lot of good information in tidbits for your surgery and recovery!

Surgery can be such an anxiety producing and scary endeavor let alone the recovery that people face afterwards! 😥

I am so passionate about educating and helping people have a simpler and less stressful path to surgery.

I have spent much time contemplating how to best do this and I have come up with the three pillars of surgical success for shoulders! Nowhere on the Internet will you be able to find such comprehensive and in depth dive all in one place!

In this program you will find the education needed to understand the anatomy of the shoulder and what causes its pain. Additionally I have a whole section dedicated to being mentally prepared for surgery and demystifying the process as well as giving practical tips on how to manage the stress and anxiety of the process. Lastly I deep dive into the physical preparation that people need! We are not talking just your physical body but also your environment!

If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the thought of shoulder surgery I am here for you! Let me ease your path and make the process virtually stress-free.

I am an orthopedic surgeon with over 14 years of experience and practice. I have felt the pain of patients as they struggle to make decisions both in their life and related to possibly having to have surgery as well as their path towards recovery. Unfortunately with how 'modern' medicine is set up there is a little time provided to give the patients all the tools that they need for a successful surgery.

I have two paths to choose just you including my private shoulder surgery group as well as the comprehensive shoulder surgery course! I fully participate and moderate the group making it a safe and supportive environment.

The group link is on this page and DM me if you would like to check out course! I can't wait to help you! 💚

It's hard enough coordinating your own life but sometimes impossible with your work life too!

Meditation

This is a great and well proven way to reduce stress and anxiety. In fact researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found 47 trails that are deemed to be very well designed studies. The conclusion was that meditation can help ease anxiety, depression, and pain even!

Worry you can be rather unproductive. Programs based in mindfulness have been found to limit the hard to control worries which can lead to poor sleep and even irritability. 🧘🏽

There are a lot of great free and even paid programs out there to get started!

This is just one more facet that you can use to help ease your path through the surgical process and into recovery!

Take care of yourself to take care of others!

Shoulder pain and surgery can be scary but with a little knowledge and mindset it doesn’t have to be!

Be the change you want to see in the world!