A Quick Update from Dr. Angie: What’s Going On with My Shoulder and What’s Next

Hey Taproot peeps! It’s Dr. Angie here.

I wanted to give you all a quick update—especially since I’ve heard from my team that many of you have been asking how I’m doing and when I’ll be back in the office.

The truth is, I’ve been dealing with a pretty significant shoulder injury—significant because of what I do for a living. I didn't do just one thing to injure it. I've had shoulder pain and dysfunctional movement since January, but it would improve with some care so I'd keep working. After April's kid's days my shoulder really flared up. Dr. Kierstn did some ortho testing on me (which I failed miserably) and because this had been on-going even with conservative treatment, we were able to fast-track my MRI. I originally had swelling, bursitis, tendonitis, arthritis, and a torn muscle. Most of the swelling and inflammation has resolved, but the muscle tear is still very much an issue.

I’ve re-aggravated it doing completely normal things—like turning off a light switch. A few weeks ago, I adjusted my daughter at home and even that light cervical adjustment really flared things up. So right now, I’m not adjusting anyone—not even my own family.

That doesn’t mean I’ve made a decision to step away from patient care permanently. I’m giving my shoulder time to heal. But to be honest, I don’t have a date to come back yet. This injury could take me out of adjusting altogether. I’m not saying that to scare anyone—Taproot isn’t going anywhere—but it’s a possibility I have to acknowledge.

If /when I do return to adjusting, it will probably be in a more limited capacity, and I may need to change how I practice—possibly incorporating soft tissue work into every visit, which would make appointments a little longer and potentially more expensive. But many of my patients already receive dry needling or cupping in addition to their adjustments, so it wouldn’t be a huge shift for most of you.

Let me be clear: I’m still very much running Taproot.

Taproot Chiropractic & Wellness has always been my heart. I may not be adjusting spines (or ankles or shoulders or wrists) right now, but I’m still leading the business. I’m managing the team, holding all our regular meetings, reviewing chart notes, and making sure we’re in compliance with all state and national regulations. I stop by the office to get adjusted and check in, but most of my work these days happens from home—and that’s okay.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been busy. I’ve been deep in clinic operations, taking new trainings, writing (yep—working on two books), and continuing to build my coaching business, Heart and Hustle. I work with chiropractors and other wellness-based providers to build patient-first practices that don’t lead to burnout. Because burnout in healthcare is real. I’ve lived through it—and now I’m helping others avoid or at least manage it.

We’re also adding some exciting new services to Taproot. Dr. Kirsten and I are heading to Utah next week for advanced training on a new in-house bioenergetic testing system. I’m genuinely excited about what it can offer our patients, from different ways to treat underlying root issues to more customized supplement recommendations. I might even be the one performing some of the tests once we’re up and running.

So, if you’ve been wondering—yes, I’m okay. I’m not in pain all the time, but I am limited. I can’t adjust anyone right now. Dr. Megan just finished building me a new shoulder rehab program and I’m doing everything I can to support healing. The frustrating part is this wouldn’t be a huge deal if I weren’t a chiropractor—I could just rest, do some PT, and be fine. But because this muscle is used constantly in my work, it makes recovery much trickier.

Some of you know I’ve had autoimmune issues in the past—not as much recently, thankfully—but we’ve talked for years about the possibility of me needing to step back. I just didn’t think it would look like this.

For those of you who’ve been asking about me—thank you. Your kind thoughts, your prayers, and your support mean the world. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a team I trust deeply. I know our doctors are treating you the way I would have, and I haven’t heard a single complaint. That’s exactly what I would expect from a team we’ve trained so carefully. We’ve spent years building a practice that can stand strong whether I’m physically there or not, and this season has proven that we did it right.

I don’t have a timeline, but I’ll keep you posted—whether I’m back in a few weeks or transitioning into a new chapter. Taproot is still mine, and our mission hasn’t changed.

And if I do end up retiring from patient care? Don’t worry—we’ll have a party!

With love,

Dr. Angie

One of my shoulder images for anyone who wants to see