This article was originally written in 2011, and the content still rings true! Our author had gone through multiple shoulder labral repair surgeries and has some great advice in terms of the realistic time frames for rehabilitation and goals. In the physical therapy clinic, the post-operative protocols that came out around 2005-2010 are holding up well with time and are still commonly used.
I have seen many clients with post-operative shoulder labral repairs. It is a frustrating injury that takes time to recover from. Being the recipient of two labral repair surgeries myself, it is my opinion that the key to recovery with a labral injury is managing expectations.
Figure 1. A and B) Uniaxial loading of biceps tendon leading to SLAP lesion in the neutral position (Bey et al. 1998)
The shoulder labrum is a fibrous, or rigid type of cartilage. This type of cartilage is found only around the attachment of the socket. The two main functions of the labrum are to deepen the socket (thus providing added stability) and to be an attachment for other structural tissues such as the biceps tendon around the joint.
The labrum is typically torn from one of the following.
1. Damage to attaching ligaments of the shoulder resulting from repetitive actions or over-use.
2. A subluxation or dislocation of the shoulder, usually occurring from trauma. Dislocation can occur anteriorly or posteriorly.
Figures A and B show the subluxation uniaxial loading seen when holding a dumbbell. Figure two shows a throwing motion: Notice the detachment of the bicep tendon with the labrum. There are four types of SLAP classifications, which can be a factor in the recovery process.
I wanted to touch on how this injury occurs in order to point out the degree of recovery needed. Recovery depends upon many factors, such as lesion location, severity, and the quality of surgical repair. The Johns Hopkins orthopedic surgery website reports with regards to recovery that:
Figure 2) during the late cocking phase of throwing (Rodosky et al. 1994).
“It is believed that it takes at least four to six weeks for the labrum to re-attach itself to the rim of the bone, and probably another four to six weeks to get strong. Once the labrum has healed to the rim of the bone, it should see stress very gradually so that it can gather strength. It is important not to re-injure it while it is healing. How much motion and strengthening of the arm is allowed after surgery also depends upon many factors, and it is up to the surgeon to let you know your limitations and how fast to progress. Because of the variability in the injury and the type of repair done, it is difficult to predict how soon someone can to return to activities and to sports after the repair. The type of sport also is important, since contact sports have a greater chance of injuring the labrum repair. However, a vast majority of patients have full function of the shoulder after labrum repair, and most patients can return to their previous level of sports with no or few restrictions.”
The Johns Hopkins orthopedic surgery website does leave recovery time open for interpretation and dependent on each case. I feel that recovery typically takes longer than expected.
The recovery time can be separated into three stages. The first is acute pain stage (difficulty when sleeping), which usually lasts 4-6 weeks. This time usually involves a formal physical therapy process.
These elastic bands are great to use once your doctor clears you for resistance training.
The second stage is continued strengthening and stretching with slight discomfort (minimal to no pain). During this stage the patient/client will report “I still feel like I am going to dislocate and have this funny crackling in my shoulder”. This stage can range from 12-16 weeks (therapy to post rehab transitional stage). Don’t be alarmed. The labrum repair tightened the joint and likely causing minor pressure on the repaired tissues that are unfamiliar. This feeling will recede over time.
The final stage is the transition to your “new normal” lifestyle and exercise. This stage varies and could be 6-12 weeks of feeling “normal again”. Realistically, many patients are looking at 9 months to 1 year of total recovery time before they feel “normal” again.
I hope this information helps you when managing expectations. Frustration is common, and patience is key. The time frame may indeed be longer than you may expect, but it is better to manage your expectations and realize that you will have a “new normal”. Do not rush your rehabilitation, as many people find themselves re-injuring their shoulder.
Once you are in the resistive training portion of your rehab, these exercises are a must!
For more information on recovery after shoulder surgery, check out these two articles: Sleeping Comfort after Shoulder Surgery and When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
By: Phillip Godfrey MES, PFT
Read More About Shoulder Issues
• What Does a Shoulder Labral Tear Feel Like?
• How Do I Stabilize an Unstable Shoulder?
• When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
• How Do I Deal With A Shoulder Dislocation?
• Is Sleeping On My Side Bad For My Shoulder?
• Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?
I am scheduled for shoulder surgery tomorrow morning and I’m pretty nervous about it. I have a torn rotator cuff, SLAP tear and they will also be doing a distal clavicle excision. I can find information regarding the recovery of each type of injury, but with all 3 being done at the same time I don’t know what to expect. What should my expectations be after this procedure?
You will likely be annoyed for a while. There are so many indicators of prognosis….age, fitness level, prior shoulder issues. My guess is that you will be in a sling for 4-6 weeks and not doing much of anything. Talk to the doc about using meds to get you over the first few weeks of annoyance if need be. Range of motion and PT will typically start at 3-6 weeks, depending on his preference. You might also want to consider getting a lazy-boy to sleep in. They help a lot in terms of shoulder comfort.
Hi doc,
My husband has a bicep tendon tear, and he wants it repaired. When he signed the consent, I notice it says bicep tenodesis. I’m concerned that this may limit the use of his arm, as he is still an active lineman and requires the full use of his arm for overhead manual labor. I’m unsure if I should ask about a repair vs tenodesis.
Thanks.
From my understanding the tenodesis procedure only moves the long head of the biceps a very small distance from its original attachment on the labrum….. but ideally one should always strive to keep the anatomy as preserved as possible. I have seen many patients who underwent the SLAP repair and tenodesis do just fine in terms of returning to an active job. I think that it is sometimes an age-releated thing. The over-forty crowd tends to have the tenodesis done more because the labrum is already in rough shape.
Hi! I had a repair done to a fully torn labrum and partially torn rotator cuff 5 weeks ago. (I was in a car accident where some guy was texting and driving.) I was in a sling for 4 weeks and started PT a little over a week ago. I have a few questions for you…
1. Is it normal that I am still waking up multiple times per night in pain? I am still sleeping semi-sitting up with many pillows supporting my arm.
2. A portion of my upper arm feels numb, and when I’m laying down or sitting on the sofa with a pillow under my arm, I have a hard time determining where my arm is if I’m not looking at it. I know that sounds kinda strange, but it’s just a weird feeling of not being aware of my arm.
Thanks for your advice!
It is normal to be having pain like that 5 weeks post-op, particularly with a fully detached labrum like that. The numb arm sometimes happens, but I would make sure that the doc knows about it. It very well may just be positional.
Hi I am a 36 yr old and 18 mths after bankart and slap tear experiencing tightness and pain now in the back of my shoulder. I have been lifting weights feom 12 mths on with no restrictions or pain… just over worked it? Should i take a week or more off deom lifting weights to see if it gets better? I dropped down this week to very light weights and it is still very tight and feels off..
Probably over-worked it from your description. Back off and let it heal. It is always a great idea to get a PT eval from a fresh set of eyes to see if there are any underlying mechanical issues.
Hello i have had a posture lebral tear repair i had this done 11 months december 2015 ..4 anchors was put in place , i’m getting sharp pains shooting from my shoulder down my arm not all the time but mainly when being used, i was also advised that i had a slight tear in my bicep tendon but this was not repaired, if i try using the elastic with 1 foot stood on the end and the other pulling from my leg up to shoulder extended i can only do this about 3 time before my arm decided that it can’t take no more and has to come down but with support with my left hand,, i was left 3 and a half years with this detached. i have worries that i might still have some issues this was down to a lorry moving into my lane and squashing my car into some railings.when its cold my arm aches rarely bad. i struggle with a lot of things that i used to be able to do im 29 years old just after some advise
This sounds complicated. I would at the very least get an evaluation from a physical therapist to get an idea what needs to be strengthened. My guess is that this is going to take a few months of doing the correct exercises to see what improvement take place.
thanks for the reply i was not sure if i have a trapped nerve i’m going to see my surgeon in the 18th so ill see what he says
Hi Doc,
I am a 25 year old healthy person from India. I had a arthroscoic labrum repair done on 6th oct 2016 to treat my anterior labrum tear occurred due to two major subluxations while playing basketball.
After diagnosis I also have laxity. My surgeon has performed posterior plication as well with the labru repair.
Right now I am doing rehab protocol strictly. Its my 6th week start today. Yesterday after doing the eternal rotation physio session with a stick I started to get pain in the entire hand, an unusual one after surgery. Later in the evening if I touched my armpit it pained a little. and if I flex my armpit inside it pained a little. Today morning I reduced the number of repetitions of forward elevation and sideward elevation on wall and using a stick. Now in the afternoon i slept to rest the arm fearing something is wrong. To my shock I got up and again touched my armpit to see if the pain is still there and I found a small ball like structure inside the skin. It pained if I touched it. I am hell scared and frightened awfully.
Is something wrong?
regards,
atishay
I would see the doc and have it checked out. It is probably just a tightened up area of muscle, but I would have the doc look at it.
Yes Doc, i got it checked. He says it is some lymph nodes swelling. Advised an antibiotic for five days and its reducing so far.
Apart from this, I wanted to know how long does it take for external rotation to get to 60? Right now I am 6 weeks done – forward elevation is almost 180 and sidewards is near to 165. But the external rotation is just 15 degrees. I am trying to be patient but its frustrating and testing my patience like never before.
Also, I get night pain even now alternate days. Is it due to continual physio ? I do three sessions of forward, sideward,and external rotation of 20 reps each, with a cane stick and wall-climbing.
regards,
atishay
I am 3 weeks post op for a left shoulder labrum tear, shaving down of bone spurs and removal of some arthritis. I am experiencing sharp pains in the front of my shoulder still which started to go away but now came back and the serious pain is in my neck and my trap; they are knotted up and as hard as a rock. they feel to be burning all day, is this normal? I am setting up and apt with the surgeon but is out of the country and just want to know what is going on, thanks
Wearing a sling can place a lot of stress on the neck and shoulder muscles. It is a necessary evil during that first month. I would talk to the doc about it and see if you can start weaning off of it. In general it is also quite common to see the shoulder in a forward, protracted position after a surgery. Work on trying to get your shoulder blades back a bit more with the help of your PT.
Hi Doc,
I had SLAP tear repair to my right shoulder 12 weeks ago (two anchors). My Physio training is at a stage where I can raise my arm almost straight up infront of me and not as high when out to the side, It feels tight and a bit sore when doing so (as expected).
However, I’m paranoid that the repair hasn’t worked or I’ve damaged it as I get the shooting pains if I accidently move my shoulder incorrectly or jar it. Is there any way of Knowing If I have?
Also, when both arms are raised outwards, my operated shoulder is much thicker than my left, (It looks like another persons arm!) would there still be soft tissue swelling at this stage?
Many thanks
Tony
There definitely could still be some swelling there. If the doc knows about it then I wouldn’t be too concerned. You are still way too early in the process to be pain-free with sudden movements. This is probably due to a lack of strength and control of the shoulder. As long as you notice small positive changes from month to month, you are on course. Stick to the doc’s protocol.
Hi. 40-yr-old Husband is 3 days post-op (Type 1 superior labrum from anterior to posterior/SLAP tear repair and subacromial impingement. I saw 3 round silvery plastic surgical “ties” in his scope pics. (Not sure what they’re called, but just thought you’d like a reference for how many were used).
I’m finding it tough to believe that tomorrow I can remove his pain pump catheter and that he should start 5 min/5x a day simple arm raises to shoulder height, Palm down, front and directly to side, Palm down. (No rotation). It seems too early.
Is it too early 3 days post op?
Also, best type of sling? We have one from the hospital but my husband is dissatisfied with it because his elbow and hand slowly slide out the hand opening through the course of the day. I called the doctor but haven’t heard back, and as we are going into the weekend, I want to find something soon.
Your advice is appreciated. Your site is a wealth of great info.
That doesn’t make sense. If there are anchors in there, doing active arm raises in my mind would be contra-indicated. I would check it with the doc and the PT. The sling thing is kind of subjective…..whatever feels most comfortable is usually the way to go. I have seen slings that have a small pillow attached that keeps the elbow a little bit off of the body. Most people tend to like those.
Hi there! I’m almost 7 weeks post up from a full labrum tear and partial rotator cuff. There’s a few anchors that were used. I’m still having a lot of trouble sleeping and towards the end of the day am in a ton of pain. Is this to be expected still? I do PT 3x/week, and at my 6 week check up with the doc, he told me that the PT needs to get much more aggressive because my ROM is still limited and he doesn’t want to have to “go back in.” I do all my exercises often during the day and am pushing as much as I can, but I don’t seem to be gaining any external rotation of my shoulder and am having trouble with any abduction stretches. Am I still on track for 7 weeks out? Or do you think he’ll have to “go back in” ??
I tend to be of the mindset that moderation works best. Pushing the shoulder too hard may actually increase the inflammation. It sounds like that might be happening to you. I would stick to light and moderate stretching. Orthopedists will often use the scare tactics to motivate patients. Light to moderate. Maybe back it off from PT for a week to let the inflammation calm down.
Hello I am 4 weeks post op calcific tendinitis and rotator cuff repair. The surgery started out arthroscopic but apparently my anatomy made it difficult to see, so my doc had to do a mini open. The first two weeks after surgery I had little to almost no pain then out of nowhere I started feeling excruciating pain in my scapula and all down my arm. When it feels that way I lay down on my back and the pain goes away, but comes back after a little while when I’m up doing stuff. I thought that maybe it could be spasms. What are your thoughts?
Check it with the doc to be safe. This probably sounds postural to me. If the shoulder is held in a certain way (especially if it has been in a sling) it can place a lot of stress on the neck, shoulder blade, and arm.
It’s hard for me to wear the sling anymore because that’s when it hurts the most.
Thank you for your time!
I’m a very active 25 year old man. With a very physically demanding job. Nov 6th 2016 I had a motocross accident landing on my right side and dislocating my right shoulder. Doc said MRI shows 2 major labral tears slap and banker tear I believe. He recommends labral repair surgery. The pain is terrible. I can’t work I can’t lift my arm I can’t perform some daily task with the right arm. Is surgery going to fix my shoulder doc? Is it the best option. I have e to return to work ASAP! The pain can’t be ignored or else I would suck it up and go on with my normal routine. I feel like I’ve messed up the shoulder really really bad and it’s scary! What will help me?? I need some words of wisdom or encouragement please
Thank you.
That is a nasty injury Chance. The pain will eventually go down, but it might take several months. My guess is that it is going to be a good idea long-term to have the shoulder surgically repaired, especially if you need to use the arm for reaching and weighted lifting etc.. In the mean time don’t challenge the arm, let the soft tissue structures heal.
Hi I am 17 months post op and am still suffering pain in my shoulder blade and upper bicep, shoulder blade pain only occurred after my slap op however the pain in my bicep never changed from prior to surgery, I have had cortisone for it but it never helped and the doc is saying my mri was clear 3 months ago. Any help would be great thank you
I would see an experienced PT who can address the strength of the muscles that surround the shoulder blade. It sounds like at least part of this is a problem that involves the strength and length of the supporting muscles.
I am a 41 yr old man that had shoulder instability since I was a teenager and I finally had a labral repair and a remplissage one year ago. I went to physical therapy for most of last year and was very diligent with my rehab. One year later and my pain has gotten to a manageable level as long as I don’t do anything strenuous. If I do any upper body exercises or activities it gets very sore. There is always a low-grade discomfort, but it’s not something I can’t ignore. I still have pretty restricted range of motion mostly with external rotation. My surgeon says he thinks I have scar tissue and wants to go back in and “clean it out.” I personally don’t think it is scar tissue, but rather the repair was just too tight. I have several questions. Have you had any experience with labral repairs being too tight and if so, is there a predictable way to “loosen” the repair without going back to the instability. It seems like a very delicate balance and I’m worried about being back to square one if I have another surgery and it is then unstable again. The kicker is that I can’t live the rest of my life with it like it is, and I also don’t want to end up with further degeneration of the joint. I’m a dentist so full use of my arms is essential to my livelihood. Any insight you can give would be helpful.Thanks for your time>
That is a very delicate tightrope to walk Neal. In my opinion you want that shoulder to be slightly tight in external rotation, because that was likely the direction of your instability. I would be worried if you ended up with 90+ degrees of external rotation given your history. I would exhaust every other option before having a doc go in there again.
I would find the most experienced, most reputable PT in your area and have the shoulder assessed. You very well may be able to idealize the strength and length of the surrounding tissue with some expert guidance. In terms of stretching into external rotation, if the range is super-restricted, you are going to need help with that. I always recommend doing that very gradually and gently.
Dan,
Thanks for your many individualized replies to this great article. I was diagnosed last week w/ a posterior labrum tear…MRI arthrogram is this week. The orthopedist says he’ll detach/reattach the biceps tendon and cut out the torn portion of the labrum. Will this lead to an inherent lack of stability and susceptibility to future issues?
My primary care physician has recommended Prolozone as a non-operative treatment. Is there any evidence that Prolozone and/or Platelet Rich Plasma injections into the joint can allow the labrum to repair itself?
Many thanks!
Joel I am not sure as to what the most current research says about Prolo therapy in regards to labral pathology. Where I practice (in Washington DC), I do not think that I have ever seen that used as a conservative measure.
In terms of post-op for a surgical repair, after everything is said and done you might be slightly more likely to injure the shoulder with high level activity. Changing the origin site of the long head of the biceps will slightly change the mechanics involved in the shoulder. I would be wary about heavy overhead lifts, pull-ups, etc..
Dan, thanks for the reply!
Some of my information regarding prolotherapy options (stem cell, PRP, etc.) has come from the StemCellArts clinics in the Northern Virginia/Maryland area. Are you familiar with them?
-http://stemcellarts.com/commonly-treated-conditions/stem-cell-therapy-for-shoulder-injuries-and-arthritis/
My experience:
30 year old male, injured my shoulder while skiing. Eventually I had a MRI done and was diagnosed with a non-displaced tear through the base of the anterior inferior labrum.
I went to a doctor and opted to do PT on a regular basis for 5-6 months. After a couple months, I had no shoulder pain and ROM was fine, but I was experiencing instability/sublaxation during certain exercises at the gym (mainly pull-ups).
Decided to go back to doctor, and this time opted to have surgery to repair to the tear. The surgeon used 3 anchors to repair the labrum.
I’m now 2 weeks post surgery and have no pain and seem to be recovering very well. I do not feel like I need the sling anymore, though my doctor encourages me to use it when not in a controlled environment. I did not even need any pain medication after the 1st day of the surgery.
I’m able to perform daily functions (ie typing at computer, putting shirts on, talking on the phone, making the bed etc..), and can lift my arm overhead and reach halfway up my back without any issues.
Hoping to start PT and ROM exercises next week and do away with the sling for good. My biggest challenge at this point is not doing more than I should and letting the labrum heal. I do think that my overall fitness level and 5-6 months of pre-surgery PT has been a factor in my speedy recovery thus far.
Hopefully this helps ease some tensions for those having the surgery done. It has been way easier than I thought it would be so far. Let me know if anyone has any questions – I will keep the updates coming as I progress through my recovery.
Hi
Quick question had a bankart repair two weeks ago (couple of anchors and instruction to keep in a sling for 6 weeks) and fell of a bench seat backwards yesterday landed on my good shoulder fortunately and dont have any pain in the operated shoulder. Question is would i know about it if i did damage to the repair on the bad one with excessive pain ect
Cheers
Good times. If you fell on the other side you are probably fine. It will most likely however increase the inflammation for a while. You can always have the doc check it out for peace of mind.
Hi
I am 4 weeks post op and just got out of my sling for good, and when I move my arm sometimes I hear and feel a slight grind as if something was rubbing up against something… Should I be concerned? It causes discomfort.
That is pretty normal. Everything is weak right now, so the head of the humerus is likely lacking a bit of control. Grinding can happen. As always, if you are concerned you can always talk to the doc about it.
Hello Dan,
I am a former professional baseball player who has had shoulder problems my entire career. I am at the ripe age of 47 and still play today. I am taking 2017 off because I am getting shoulder surgery early February. I have a SLAP tear of the rotator cuff and a labrum tear. I neglected to ask my doctor of the chances of possibly coming back in some playing capacity by September or even being ready for a baseball camp in January that I attend. I have petty good range of motion just can’t throw overhand. So I can only assume that these tears are partial and just annoying! Everything I read either talks about the rotator cuff or the labrum, never a recovery together. What is your opinion? Thanks.
Hmmmmm, probably a year until you are back to throwing capacity. It does sound like there are several areas that need to be repaired, so that does add a bit of time. If you have the surgery in February, you might be able to do camp in January of the next year.
Hello,
In July 2014, I had a labrum repair surgery after subluxing/dislocating my shoulder about 7-8 times snowboarding, playing basketball, and pole vaulting. Before surgery, I tried 2 months of PT to see if strengthening my shoulder would help the problem. Two weeks after I completed PT, I dislocated another time playing basketball, which ultimately lead me to choose to get surgery. The surgeon repaired the torn labrum using 6 permanent sutures which are still in there now. After 4 months of post-op PT, I have gone back to normal life (still snowboarding, playing basketball, and lifting weights regularly). A few days ago (about 2.5 years after surgery), I went snowboarding again and subluxed my shoulder with the ball going back into the socket after a few seconds. The morning after and now it has been pretty sore and I cannot move too much without some pain. I’m concerned about whether or not this accident messed up the sutures since they are permanent ones or if now i will continue to sublux again easily. Also, I am concerned about having to go back into surgery because it is not a good time in my life for that (as a college student during the school year and planning to work for internships during the summer). Should I wait a few more days a until the pain goes down and try to strengthen the shoulder with PT exercises?
Don’t make any quick decisions to dive back into surgery just yet. Form the sound of the injury, it is going to take a month or two for that to calm down. Take it easy. I would see the doc about this, as violent motions do have the potential to mess things up, be it a suture tearing or otherwise.
Hi dan.
I used to play quite a few sports and ended up dislocating my shoulder about a dozen times before finally getting the Labrum repair surgery. About 4 days after the surgery I was not in pain at the moment and thoughtlessly picked up my 5-6 pound puppy with both hands and felt and heard a crack under the front incision. The fact that it didn’t hurt makes it seem like a bit of a silly question, but is there any I could have messed up any work my doctor did inside my shoulder?
Thank you.
Probably scar tissue? Anchor tears are usually quite painful.
Hey Dan,
Thank you for the inspiring article. Frustration in recovery has been 10x worse than the physical pain itself. I am about 1 year and 3 months out of surgery. I went to PT for about 3 months and the therapist was amazed at my range of motion and quick progression through PT. I moved across the country at that 3 month point and was forced to either look for a new PT or continue at home. Unfortunately, I felt overconfident and did neither. I have been tried getting back into exercise and have been very frustrated with pain in 3 spots over that last 6-8 months:
(1) Exercise with light weights and calisthenics feel fine, but the next day I get aching pain from my pectoral, into the front shoulder, down into my bicep. Massaging makes it worse. My repair was in the rear of my labrum. Could it be that my shoulder is sitting farther forward in the socket and is pinching nerves up there after working out?
(2) My orthopedist drained a cyst under my shoulder blade, which he said was caused by the tear. He said it was pushing on a nerve back there and was causing the deep aching pain in the back of my shoulder before surgery. I feel a similar aching pain in that spot after working out now.
(3) Upon certain motions I feel pain that seems to me like it is coming directly from the repaired area. This pain seems to be much more targeted and ceases upon discontinuing the motion. Is it possible that the screws are still there causing this? Or maybe lingering tightness in the tissue back there is causing this? The PT said that this doctor was known for screwing the labrum down really tight.
Sorry for the novel. I pride myself on my health and enjoy exercise. I am worried that if I continue I will cause long term damage. But again, the pain seems to come only after exercise. I have resorted to isometric exercises and still feel it though. Any advice you have would be awesome!
-Thanks again! You are an inspiration to us all.
-Jake
I agree with your first concern. I am wondering if the head of your humerus is riding a bit forward in the socket? If the posterior portion of the capsule is tight or stiff, this can cause what you describe. I would have a PT assess the passive internal and external rotations.
I had slap tear last month on my right shoulder while weight lifting but i didn’t go for surgery as it was initial stage of SLAP tear.There are few symptoms that i experienced :
1. Pain in shoulder.
2. Decrease in Strength and Range of shoulder movement.
3. Sensation of locking and popping while rotating.
After consulting with doctor, i went for physiotherapy and i got relieve from pain. I started weight lifting and again i have started experiencing pain in shoulder. Shall i get MRI done? and i don’t even know how much time i should not start weight lifting.
An MRI is probably not a bad idea at this point.
I had labrum surgery nearly 4 weeks ago, this is my third surgery and this has definitely been the easiest so far. I’m a little worried because I started having pain today in the front of my shoulder after I over-extended when doing some therapy. Wondering if this is just scar tissue buildup or if this is something else. Thank you!
If it is just an over extension with PT, it is probably just a bit of inflammation. Let it heal up a bit, don’t push it for a few days. As always, the doc is the final say in these matters.
Hello. I just wanted a opinion on my situation. I think I re injured my shoulder labrum. I’m 8 months post op. My doctor told me at 5 and a half months post op I can get back to my regular gym routine but just listen to my body.
I started bench pressing at 6 months post op. I started from 150 pounds. I worked my way up to 250 in about a month and a half. I seen my doc for unrelated shoulder pain caused by physical therapy. He said its just a strain but I’m probably going a little to fast on the bench press. I never felt any pain on the bench press and he did say listen to your body.
Now the possible re injury. I was bench pressing 225 about 3 weeks ago. I did 3 sets of 5 with no pain. Then I did the chest fly with no pain at all. Then I tried the triceps push down machine and couldn’t do it. It felt unstable with pain, I didn’t understand cause I felt no pain the whole time working out. It was extremely sore for about 2 days and I couldn’t put pressure on it for about 4 to 5 days.It feels better and I can put pressure on it with no pain but if I try a pushup or something it feels off. A little unstable possibly and slight pain.
I already had a MRI but cant see my doc till next week. I just wanted to know if it was quite possibly a bad strain or sprain, I’m pretty sure its re injury but I just wanted some kinda hope. I cant imagine going through surgery, one arm and rehab again. I’m trying to prepare myself for the worst. I have been going to the gym for over 7 years so its hitting me pretty hard. If he told me to be very careful I would have. He just told me listen to my body, If I ever felt slight pain or felt uncomfortable I always stopped what I was doing. Any insight will be appreciated. Thanks
I do think that the amount of weight that you were doing was a bit excessive. I tell my patients to keep the weight at something you can do at least twelve to fifteen times.
It is tough to tell about the shoulder situation without a diagnostic test. A visit to the doc is a good idea.
I tore my right bicep from my labrum 10 years ago…pop, pop, pop, pop. Now I have full range of motion in my shoulder and lift workout without an issue with my right shoulder. However, six months ago, I tore the bicep from my left shoulder and I believe that I tore a large part of the labrum with it. Whereas I have no pain in my biceps, I do have quick motion and catch pain in the shoulder. My question is can I have the labrum repaired without reattach ing the bicep ligament and will the recovery/rehab period be substantially less because I did not have the bicep reattached!
That is probably a better question for the surgeon John. I do not think that I have heard of that specific course of action. The surgeon would typically do a biceps tenodesis procedure in this case along with the labrum repair. It would make sense to have them both done at the same time. Theoretically the recovery would be maybe a little bit easier if you had just the labral repair, but labral repairs still take a significant amount of time regardless.
I recently went to the doctor after a few months of resting off and on. I also experienced not being able to retract my right should all the way when bench pressing. My shoulder wants to come up off the bench. The same shoulder will also roll forward when doing any back exercises. The doctor I saw said my shoulder will not stay retracted because my body is compensating for a possible labrum tear and is rolling forward to protect it. What are your thoughts on this?
Thanks!
The labral tear compensation is a possibility. It is also possible that what you are describing is “GIRD”, or glenohumeral internal rotation deficit. (We did a blog article on this.) I would have a PT check it out to see what is going on.
I have had my shoulder dislocate around twenty times. The MRIs I have had in the past show no major tears but a few frayed muscles and loose ligaments. I haven’t talked to a surgeon lately, but it is falling out of socket more easily now. I do CrossFit five days a week and am an avid runner and have a very physical job. Surgery recommended sooner or keep modifying exercise and put it off?
If you are dislocating that often, I would say that having that shoulder surgically tightened is a good idea. You could try physical therapy to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of the shoulder, but my guess is that you will probably end up talking to the surgeon anyways.
Thank you for your response. Is the recovery from a shoulder tightening significantly different from a repair from something that is torn?
Hi Dan, Im 8 mos post bankhart repair with 3 anchors and lower ligament retentioning. Im concerned as I have scapular dykinesis and tendinopathy in 3 of my rotator cuff tendons as per recent MRI. Im performing scapula exercises (Ys, theraband rows and ext rotation and shoulder retraction) and I have full ROM. My scapula aches seems to constantly seems to move and tendons snap over it even while Im standing still. My scapula feels like a bundle of cords. I also have pain in the rear part and occasionally front aspect of my shoulder. The pain and stiffness is increased with activity including exercise and now I have pain while turning my car steering wheel, forward reach and wt bearing through my arm. My neck becomes stiff and I suffer from lightheadedness. Im concerned that Im aggravating the soft tissues. My PT recommends that my exercises be performed daily but that I shouldn’t feel pain while performing them. I dont have pain during the exercises but the pain and stiffness resume after about 10 mins of performance. I did have rear shoulder pain before my surgery however the original MRI mentioned the RC tendons were intact. Is there anything that you can suggest in terms of increasing strength but not aggravating the tendinopathy? I value your opinion very much and thank you.
Ugh that is a tough one. I would get a fresh set of eyes on this problem. Find a PT with tons of clinical experience who deals with shoulders regularly. Have the shoulder evaluated and see what structures are stiff, and what muscles are under-performing. This sounds to me like a bio-mechanical issue that is long standing with you.
Hi Dan, I had revision shoulder surgery last week. I had a bankart repair with remplissage and capsular shift. I was trying to get into bed and jerked myself trying to get up and I felt a small pop. I assume it’s just gas or fluid from the operation. Could it be a rupture of the repair? Thanks in advance.
It could be any number of things. If there is no appreciable pain from this then my guess would be that you are probably okay. You can always make an appointment with the doc if you are worried or if the pain is disproportionate.
Thanks for the reply. Generally, how strong are shoulder repairs immediately post op? I heard that it takes a hard fall onto an out stretched operated arm to ruin a repair. Any insight is appreciated.
Hello Dan, I am nearly 2 years out from surgery… I naively made the mistake of jumping into yoga teacher training too soon after surgery in my right shoulder. I failed to realize that my feelings of “normal again” didn’t mean I was “normal” at all. In fact, I developed tennis elbow in my left elbow which took me 9 months heal from. Now I have DeQuervains in my right hand that will require months of rehab, steroid shot(s), and potentially surgery. Would something like swimming help me to get back to full strength? What can I do to get my full range of mobility back? Would you use something like this tool called the rotator to help get mobility back ? https://therotater.com/wp/
With Dequervains, I will typically make the patient wear one of those restrictive wrist and thumb braces for 2 weeks to knock the inflammation down. After that comes a very slow progression of strengthening. I would stay away from any higher level exercise until the pain in the thumb is nearly gone. I would also make any necessary ergonomic changes to lessen the load on the thumbs and forearms. Texting and typing are two usual culprits. I would also undergo a scapular and rotator cuff conditioning program once the time is right. The tricky thing here is knowing when to do what, so I would see a PT about that. Good luck and be patient with this.
my son has 2 anchors posterior labral tear done 10.5 months ago with no bicep tendon problems did pt has good range of motion and strength is pitching in college he is complaining of some shoulder soreness slightly in front of shoulder and deep he is able to pitch right now but with lower velocity will this soreness go away eventually or should be worried about another injury currently practicing 2 days a week
I would guess that throwing mechanics might be a bit off. I would find someone in your area who is an expert at rehabbing throwers and get an evaluation.
Hi, I’m a 59 year old female. I had a total hip replacement nearly 6 months ago. My recovery was really good for the first month – the Phsio’s told me I was doing ‘almost too well’ then no improvement since. I had 10 weeks physio then was send back to my consultant as I was not improving and had a Trendellenburg gait. I still use one crutch for walking any distance. Now back at work and more active I have a lot more pain. In the evenings when I get up from sitting for 10 mins or more I feel like I’m not going to be able to weight bear on operated hip. My consultant told me 6 weeks ago that it could take a further 6 months before I will walk properly. I’m concerned that a nerve has torn. Would welcome your advice on how to proceed, I’m seeing my consultant next week. Deborah
Hmmmmmmm, I am wondering if getting another opinion would be a good idea. This could just be weakness, but I would get an x-ray to make sure that everything looks good. I would ask the consultant if he or she thinks if the prosthetic hip is the correct size for your joint.
Hi, I had my laberum surgery in August 2012 when I was 28 years old. Now over 4 years later, Ive been getting jolts of pain over the last 2-3 months. The pain is in my shoulder and lasts a few seconds at most. Kind of like an electric shock. It happens every so often and it can happen while my arm is not doing any wide range of motion, but it only happens when I move my arm, not while motionless. Before the surgery, I would move my arm and the pain be mild to excruciating, mostly including nauseousness. One time I got very pale, sweaty, and nearly passed out from the pain. These jolts of pain I have now are very similar but last 1-2 seconds instead of 1-2 mins. The pain radiating area is very slowly growing from the top of my shoulder down to the top of my bicep. I do carry a heavy backpack on the shoulder and have been mostly fearful of working out.
1. Would this be something I need to worry about getting worse over time?
2. Can this heal over time or am I doomed to have another surgery?
The first thing that I would do is see an orthopedist. You should also curb your activity until it is evaluated. If it is just a strain it should heal over a month or two if you lay off it.
Thank you, I have been laying off it and it has been hurting less and not nearly as frequently. I believe your right and that it is a strain. Thank you for the input!!
I had a SLAP repair and had some of my rotator cuff shaved off that had torn before. I am 3 weeks post op and saw my surgeon a week ago. I had been using my arm more than I thought I was supposed to (washing my hair, cooking, driving, almost full range of motion and the heaviest weight is a pot with water to put on the stove) so I was concerned that maybe I was over doing it. He told me that I seem to be healing very well and to just not lift more than a pound. I am pretty sure the pot of water is about 4lbs. Two days before seeing him, I had to go to my very close friends funeral and despite wearing my sling, people were hugging me and patting that shoulder. I got pat very hard once and it caused pain right away in my rotator cuff. I told my doc and he said since it was a blow to the side of my arm towards my body, it wouldn’t cause structural damage to the repair that only if I reached forward too quickly or had my arm yanked would it damage it. Ironically, later that day, I fell while running on the treadmill at home and tried to avoid using that arm to catch myself but did grab the handle with that arm in a bent arm position. It didn’t hurt afterwards, but I don’t know if I re-tore it if that would cause pain or not. So that brings me to yesterday. I was being introduced to people and one lady grabbed my hand and yanked it toward her and shook hard. It was painful all over my shoulder. Today it is a little achey, and I am afraid that it may have damaged it. How do I know if it is re-injured? It’s so hard to know what is going on in there!
In my opinion you are doing way too much activity for three weeks post-op. It sounds to me like you may have gotten lucky and avoided a re-tear, but don’t push your luck. If it were re-torn there would probably be sharp, consistent pain. At the very least you are inflaming the tissue. Stay out of hand-shaking situations, and stay off the treadmill for a few weeks. Please tell your PT and doc what is going on as well.
Dear Doctor Baumstark, I just had an MRI done and I have tears to the anterior posterior and superior labra with a cyst. I have been researching this for a few days but i can never find anyone with more than 1 tear.
Do you think i can recover 100% from this?
If you are under the age of 30 the outcome measures are pretty good. I would however consider ramping back whatever your high-level activities are once you are totally recovered. There is always the possibility of re-tear if you do lots of overhead weight training, throwing, or high impact sports.
I had an instablity shoulder surger on my left shoulder on december 22,2016. Aftee being in recovery 2 weeks aftee my surgery I accidently slipped. I was not wearing my sling and i hold myself with my left hand on the sofa which prevented me from falling . Immediatly i fell the pain which last two days. I went with my othro and he made me do some movements and it looked like i did not tore anything up he said i was fine. But im still worried is it that easy to re injure the shoulder ? Its stil hard for me to lift my hand things look right. But i wanted to know how easy can u re injure the shouldee being in recovery
You are barely a month post-op, so the weakness and soreness is to be expected. If the doc thinks that things were not ruined from your fall, you are most likely going to be fine. The fall will however probably add many weeks to the recovery time because of inlflammation. Don’t stress about what happened, just be careful and stick to the doctor’s post-operative protocols.
Dan,
I had a labrum repair on my right shoulder 1/5/17 and have had no real issues until this weekend when the pain became almost out of control and feels like it constantly might slip out of place. Last week I was able to workout on the stationary bike and do knee exercises as still recovering from ACL surgery on 6/22/16 with no pain but this weekend it’s flared up like crazy pain wise. I know I’m only 3 weeks and change post op but could I of messed something up? I’ve been keeping it in the sling non stop except for pendulum exercises and feel like maybe I slept on it weird or something. Is it normal for that feeling of instability at this point?
Thanks!
Jake
Most people will have considerable pain after this surgery. If you didn’t do anything abrupt it is probably just inflammation. Rolling over on to the surgical side while sleeping can certainly contribute to that. It is always a good idea to run your symptoms by the doctor.
Hi, I am wondering if the length of time from injury impacts surgery recovery. I am going to have an arthrogram in the next week. I hurt my shoulder about 8 years ago from weight lifting. I have always lived with limitations of not being able to throw a baseball, doing push ups, dips, and other things do to pain and soreness that would last for 3-6 months if I did. I have all the usual complaints of pain, decreased range of motion, muscle tightness, popping anytime I rotate my shoulder, and locking. It has just flared up really bad and I’d like to have my life back. So, back to my original question; does the length of time from injury impact shoulder recovery?
It might depend on what tissue structures are involved, but I would say that in general it might add a bit of recovery time. If it is a rotator cuff tear it might be a bit difficult for the doc to gather the tissue and anchor it down, but surgeons almost always have ways of compensating for that. If the doc thought that the attempt would be futile, he or she would have told you by now.
Hey, Dr. Baumstark. Thanks for being patient enough to answer all of our questions! I have another one for ya.
I had arthroscopic surgery on my right shoulder for a SLAP tear and I’m worried about my recovery.
I’ve instinctively reached out for my phone after I dropped it and felt brief but intense pain, woke up with soreness practically every day for the first two weeks, and sneezed so hard that even in my sling, I felt intense pain for a good five minutes. I also instinctively adjusted a 20 pound box when it almost fell on me, but I felt no pain at all during that moment, nor afterwards.
In addition, I’ve been using my keyboard and occasionally stirring food gently. Obviously this is more than my doctor wants me to do, but he said I’m healing nicely, and only have to worry about tearing sutures if I fall or experience intense trauma.
If the sutures aren’t torn and I go to physical therapy three times a week, will I still recover fully? Before surgery, bench pressing and push-ups would cause intolerable burning pain that wasn’t alleviated by cortisone. I want to be pain-free when I work out. Despite the recklessness I’ve exhibited, do you still think that’s possible?
Thank you for reading my mountain of text.
Your full recovery depends on a bunch of factors (age, health, the extent of injury, etc.). It does not sound to me like you messed up your anchors based on what you said. Most people are able to get back to a regular routine, but I would take in to consideration ramping back your weight lifting and changing up some of the exercises that you will be doing. (Talk to your PT about that prior to your discharge.) Also realize that this entire process is going to take quite a bit of time, sometimes up to a year or more to get full function back. Be patient, and as always, stick to the doc’s guidelines in terms of what you are allowed to do and when you are allowed to start new exercises.
Hello, Ive been having shoulder problems for about 15 years now. I dislocated my shoulder when I was 15 years old, and have done so several times since then. I am finally getting something done about it. I went in to the orthopedic Dr. and had it x-rayed to which I was told I have a torn labrum. Had an M.R.I. done yesterday, and find out results tomorrow. I build private jets for a living. My question is how long should I expect to be out of work?
Hmmmmm, with that type of physical job I would say that you won’t be lugging weighty things around for at least four (4) months. There needs to be a gradual build up of strength after the surgery, and that takes a bit of time. You could certainly do light duty type activities much sooner than that.
Hi,
I am a fifteen year old, and tore my labrum as a result of an anterior dislocation playing football in late October. I had surgery on it on 11/29. I am a qb and LB in football, and am really hoping to get back to doing both in August. My surgeon is really focused on qb and says I shouldn’t have a problem getting back to that, but hasn’t really addressed LB. How vulnerable would I be while leading with my shoulder to make a tackle? What risk of a re-tear would there be compared to before my original injury, and what problems would present themselves if I were to tear it again?
Thanks for considering
Any high velocity, impactful sport is going to pose some increased risk. Leaning in to a tackle with the shoulder would put it at risk, as would trying to throw the football while getting hit from behind. If it tore again, you would probably have consistent and disproportionate pain. If you dislocated again, you can guarantee that you re-tore the labrum. Good times.
If I were to tear it again, and had another surgery, would I still be able to throw, or would I lose a lot of function?
It would probably make it more difficult to throw the more work is done on the shoulder.
Hello,
Back in October my left shoulder had a subluxation while making a tackle in football
The pain was only bad for about a week, and then I got back to doing normal things. Then, I dislocated and tore my right labrum later in the month, as I’ve said. Progressing into PT for the right side, my left shoulder has become uncomfortable, popping frequently, and some pain right below my armpit while/after supporting weight. Is this cause for concern, or is this just extra stretching compared to my recent non-activity with my arms?
I would work with a PT on stabilizing the left shoulder. It sound to me like something is going on with the labrum. I would also have the doc check it out.
Thank you for your quick responses!
I am about to get this surgery and I have questions regarding recovery. How long until you are usually allowed to drive as well as return to work?
Probably at least 4 weeks without driving, possibly longer. If you work is sedentary, you could probably sit at a desk and type after 2-3 weeks?
Thank you for your quick responses!
I had labrum repair with bicep attachment, I thought I would be starting physical therapy right away, but my surgeon is requiring me to wait 6 weeks? Is this normal?
Based on the most current post-operative protocols, this is totally normal. It sounds like your doc is responsible and knows his or her stuff.
I had shoulder surgery to repair a laberal tear in the front and back of my right shoulder as well as an effort to tighten the loose joint. I had the surgery thanksgiving day of 2016. I am struggling in recovery and pt is a pain. Before the surgery the doctor explained that I would be able to have full range of motion in 3 months. However I have only about 30 degrees on my external rotation. And even less on internal rotation. I still cannot lift my arm enough to be able to put my hair in a ponytail. I can lift little to no weight. The surgeon has prescribed an oral steroid a month ago and when that didn’t work he did a steroid shot, this seems to barely be working. What I ever regain full motion? What are the next option the surgeon will suggest if there is any. I’m 18 years old and am struggling with staying positive.
There is a huge disconnect between doctors’ post-surgical expectations and reality (in most cases). I would say that you will most likely get back adequate range of motion, but I would stretch that time frame out quite a bit (at least to 6-8 months). You want to make very slow gains in terms of the shoulder rotation. The surgeon tightened certain structures expressly so that your shoulder would no longer be unstable. I would frankly be worried if you got back full range too quickly. I would stick to a consistent gradual, tolerable stretching routine along with light strengthening per the doc’s permission. You will get there.
Hello Dan!
I am a little over 3 weeks in my post-op phase for a SLAP tear surgical repair in my left shoulder. I have tons of ROM and really very little pain in my actual shoulder, sans pressure pain that occurs when touching the arthroscopic incisions. Ever since I was a week out, I’ve been comfortable not wearing my sling when at home, and I’ve been very careful with it. Now that I am 3 weeks, I am thinking I want to try sleeping without it, and without the 45 degree wedge. Would this be ok, as long I am in no pain?
Also, after my initial injury I spent about 5 months trying to rehab before I gave in to the surgery, but during that period I had some sharp pains in my left (same side as SLAP tear) pectoral. I couldn’t fly at all, and I could barely go through the motion of a weightless chest press without feeling the sensation in my pectoral. And, whenever I would run on the treadmill my pec would feel very loose and it would kind of bounce so I was forced to brace it with my hand until it warmed up and stopped hurting. Anyway, now here I am 3 weeks after the surgery, and I still feel the same painful sensation in my pec (the placement of the sensation is definitely in my pec but it close to my underarm and shoulder). Is this normal? The pain comes and goes every so often, but it is definitely the same pain. And today, I moved too quickly trying to catch something off the counter, and I felt the same looseness feeling that I would feel when I ran on the treadmill before the operation. Will this all just take time to heal collectively, or is something wrong? I know that I haven’t pushed anything to possibly hurt my recovery.
Thanks a bunch!
I would stick with the doc’s protocol, even if you are not in pain. The sling is more for your protection in case something abrupt happens. Better to be safe than sorry.
That pec thing is weird. I would wait until the SLAP repair is totally rehabbed before dealing with that. It very well may be that it will no longer be an issue at that time. My guess is that you are looking at six months or more before you get to that point. Stay patient Jack!
Hi Dan –
I had SLAP repair surgery on 12/23/16, and my surgeon also relocated my biceps tendon under my arm. I have been attending PT for about a month now 2-3x’s per week. I am concerned because I am not progressing as much as my therapist would like at this point. She maintains that i should have (assisted) full range of motion at 9 weeks. Currently, I can get to about 110-120 degrees lifting the arm straight in front of me, and I can get to about 90-100 degrees in the ‘chicken wing’ position to the side. She keeps referring to my situation as “being stuck”. I was told that if i am unable to get ‘unstuck’ that my surgeon will go back in and force the shoulder through to hit full range of motion. Is this accurate in your opinion?
Also, I understand that everyone recovers at different paces but am wondering your opinion on where I am at right now? I got rid of the sling about 1 week ago and have been (attempting) to sleep without it at this point as there still is some pain in the area that was repaired.
Any insight, ideas, or exercises you might recommend would be greatly appreciated.
I don’t think that you are in a bad position for having surgery done in late December. The physicians and PT’s often use the threat of manipulation to motivate the patient to be as compliant as possible. I would continue with the stretching and the light strengthening. Getting a pulley to loop over your door at home might help a bit with the passive stretching.
Hello Dan
I had a slap and rotator cuff surgery about two weeks ago. I started taking my sling off on the 4th day after surgery because of discomfort. I haven’t had a good night sleep for almost two weeks now because of the pain. The pain travels from my shoulder right down to my elbow. What I would like to know is this pain normal and when does it eventually go away.
Thanking in advance
I would sleep on a recliner and use pillows under the arm and / or elbow to make it as comfortable as possible. I would also talk to the doc about it to see if he can prescribe anything to help. Lots of people have this problem, and it can last for a few months. It should slowly subside as healing occurs.
HiThere,
I am 10 weeks post anterior labrum shoulder surgery. At 6 weeks post op my surgeon told me to take the sling off, but have a 1 lb weight limit on that arm until at least 12 weeks. I had been doing great, no pain at all and according to my pt a good range of motion. I’ve been super careful during the whole process because I’m terrified of reinjury. Until last week I had been sleeping with the sling, I was feeling great and was able to do more so decided to sleep without it. Now the last 4 days and nights I hurt, it’s an ache inside that doesn’t seem to go away. I had been using it more, and caught myself lifting things i shouldn’t, but never had anything hurt. The only thing I can think of is having the sling off at night. I can no longer lift my arm to where I could before without pain. I’ve babied it for a day and slept in my sling the last two nights. Still aches. Did I retear it?
It is highly unlikely that you re-tore based on what you said. The more likely explanation is a less than ideal sleeping position. Some people tend to roll on to the surgical side, resulting in some short term increase in inflammation. As always, check with the doc if you are concerned.
Hey, Dr. Baumstark.
I’m about to be six weeks post surgery for a shoulder labrum tear, and I still experience a sharp pain during certain activities. When I take a t-shirt off, when I scratch my head, when I extend my arm straight, or raise it straight, up, and inward. Or when I get off the massage table after physical therapy. The pain ceases immediately, or shortly after, though I sometimes will experience aches for a few hours after physical therapy.
Is this pain normal, or should I be concerned? It generally occurs near my surgical scars, though sometimes occurs in the outer shoulder.
Thanks for reading this!
That is normal James, you are likely not strong enough yet to be pain free. It will be months before all of this normalizes. Hang in there and stick to the post-op protocols.
Dr Dan,
I had surgery for a posterior labrial tear three months ago. Dr said I could go back to gym, but do light weight. I may have over done it now have soreness towards front of shoulder along with tingliness in hand. Shoulder now feels tired/sore almost how it felt before I had sugary. I still have strength in my shoulder but it doesn’t feel right. Should I be concerned?
Thanks,
Bstreet
I would talk to the doc to be safe. It is probably strained. The transition to weights for a lot of people can be a bit abrupt.
Thank you for the response!
I am a 62 year old male that that have just been diagnosed with a slap tear and a bone spur on my left shoulder. I begin PT this week and the doctor is not keen on the idea of surgery due to my age. However I am active and don’t think of myself as beyond the age where surgery would help. I Understand the operation is not fun but neither is the prospect of years of pain if PT does not help. What are your thoughts on a person my age having the surgery compared to meds? I’m not keen on the idea of long term meds BTW as I just want to avoid that if at all possible
If it were me, I would avoid the surgery and rehab the heck out of the shoulder. The end results for this type of surgery for someone your age is not fantastic. I would also sit down with the PT and figure out what activities and exercises are okay for you to do long term. You are going to need to be realistic about what are acceptable activities.
had a torn bicep repair aprox 4 weeks ago.
after my last therapy session my therapist said I could take my sling at home
I had the sling off when I kicked my desk chair and reacted by pushing, rather forcefully, the chair with my surgeically repaired arm.
I am experiencing more pain swelling and tightness than I had been since the incident. is it possible I could have retorn. the bicep muscle was moved and reattached with a screw
The pushing motion does not require forceful contraction of the biceps, but I would at least talk to the doc about it. You more than likely inflamed the shoulder from that action.
Hi,
Thanks for the post … I am 11 .5 weeks post op…I had a bankart and a slap repair…I am able to do physio with no pain, I am currently doing resistance band exercises and from next week may be push ups etc as per my PT….My question is, since last 1 or 2 weeks I have noticed I get a slight popping of shoulder when I do one of the ROM exercise, this popping is similar to what I used to get before op but it is 10℅ of it… Should I continue with the exercise which is causing that popping? You mentioned in the post that cracking sound is normal, Is slight popping of shoulder also normal at this stage?
Popping here I meant slight dislocation, not sure if popping is the right word for that :)…
If you feel like the shoulder is slightly dislocating, I would talk to the doc about it and demonstrate that to him or her. In the mean time I would stay away from that exercise.
I’m 9 weeks in from a SLAP tear surgery. I go to therapy 3 times a week. It’s very painful. I’m always tired and uncomfortable. One thing that is really bothering me is that my arm all the way to my hand is always warm. Now my hand always sweats. While in therapy it gets worse. My hand swells too. My therapist says this is normal but it doesn’t feel normal. I still can’t sleep at night either. Not sure when I will find my normal again. Your thoughts?
I don’t think that this is normal Miriam. I would see the doctor and have it looked at. Some people after a surgery like that will develop weird skin and pain responses (sweating, hyper-sensitivity, hand swelling). If it is caught early it is not a big deal. Please realize that I am really not allowed to diagnose you, this is the doctor’s job. Give the doc a call and have it checked out.
I am a 16-year-old swimmer and water polo player and have just had my second labrum repair. I had surgery on my right shoulder 10 months ago, and I just had surgery on my left 2 weeks ago. My right shoulder was definitely worse because I had both a SLAP and Bankart tear, and on my left, it was just a small SLAP tear. Last time I recovered fairly quickly and was able to start competing just before 3 months and play water polo again at 4.5 months. I was wondering if you had any advice for a fast recovery that will get me back as soon as possible. I was in PT for both my right and left shoulder before surgery, and I will start PT again in a few days. I have a lot of my motion back already and rarely have pain. Also, sometimes I still have pain in my right shoulder and my doctor tells me it is still recovering and that fully recovery takes a year, should I be worried? Thank you!
My advice is to take it slowly and according to the doc’s protocol. The anchors need a good six weeks to heal into place, so don’t mess with that even if you are feeling great.
In terms of the old surgical arm, I would make sure that the scapular and rotator cuff strengths are ideal. I am a huge fan of using a “body blade” for rotator cuff stabilization training. (If you check our product link, it is there.) It does take a while to build the strength up.
Hi, I am due for shoulder arthroscopy in April which was pushed back from March, I was hoping to do an employment training course in May with some physical fitness required, it’s looking quite grim that I may not be able to do this. It is a small tear I believe but do you think I’ll be able to recover in time?
That is likely not enough time. You will need at least six weeks for the anchors to heal, and after that it will take some time for the strength to start to improve. I would give myself a minimum of 3-4 months before anything moderately physical.
Can you give an insight to the severity of my shoulder issue and general recovery time? My MRI report summarises ‘Mildly depressed Hill-Sachs deformity, slap lesion with involvement of the anterosuperior labrum.’ Everything is intact but it did also mention Rotator cuff intact, small bursal effusion and AC joint intact, there is a type 1 acromion. I’ve yet to look into the medical terminologies so if you could please explain in layman’s terms.
Hello Sir,
Thanks for taking time and writing this post, it was very helpful….You mentioned in your post that during 12- 16 weeks , patient feel popping sounds and a feeling of dislocation….I am also at that stage of recovery , Can you please tell me what do you mean when you say “feeling of dislocation”…
Does that mean instability in shoulder, slight coming out of shoulder in some movements or something else? and why this happens because if the anchors have tightened the labrum then it should not come out(even slightly)…
Thanks in advance….
It is more of a feeling of looseness rather than an actual physical movement of the shoulder out of the socket. My guess is that the brain is getting used to the new positioning of the shoulder and may have difficulty interpreting the information.
Hi,
I just got my diagnostic from a recent MRI with gadolinium contrast. The radiologist report says:
“Rupture of the base of the anteroinferior glenoid labrum implantation, with associated fissure of the neighboring glandular cartilage. The rupture of the labrum extends to the anterior and anterior superior labrum, with involvement of the biceps insertion. Therefore, Bankart lesion associated with SLAP lesion (SLAP type 5 lesion).”
(Sorry for bad translation).
My initial symptoms were unspecific non-acute pain in right arm, in several areas, when training (I swim long-distance). Actually my pain was almost vanishing thru physic therapy, just days before doing the MRI.
I have appointment with two good trauma surgeons next week to evaluate my options, but it’s going to kill me to wait so much. I am starting to assume that surgery will be needed, but my big unknowns now are what kind of recovery I’m looking at (how much time for training and swimming long-distance again), and what kind of exercise can I safely do in the meantime.
I guess all that will be properly answered next week, but any hint you can give me before that would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.
That tear does sound substantial. My guess is that it will take at least six months to get you crawl-stroke swimming again. You are going to have to be super patient about this. In the mean time I suppose that you could do whatever doesn’t reproduce pain in the shoulder, but I would run that by the doc as well.
Hello! I am 3 1/2 weeks post-op from a SLAP repair. The repair required only one anchor and debridement. I have been attending physiotherapy since the second week. I am currently performing pendulum exercises and active assisted range of motion exercises using my non-operated arm to lift my operated arm in flexion from a supine position. I am still wearing the sling at all times except for showering, dressing and doing my exercises. Today I went to do my exercises in supine and had the sling off. I accidentally, without thinking, got up from the bed leaning on my operated elbow and of course experienced immediate pain in the shoulder around the surgical site and bicep area. I don’t think I put my full weight down on it as I realized what I was doing as soon as I started to feel the pain but I definitely put some weight on it. It’s pretty aching now. Do you think this would have been sufficient force to damage the repair? Thank you for your time.
Most likely not. It will definitely ache for many days at the minimum though. If the pain is sharp I would bring this up to your doc or PT.
I had my torn labrum fixed about 5 years ago. I’ve had soreness every now and then since then, but lately i’ve had increased pain. My neck and other shoulder have felt soreness and pain as well.
Im a video editor and sit at a desk all day most days, so I’m wondering if that is playing a role?
Thanks.
This sounds postural. I would have someone look at your set up closely and make adjustments if needed. There are some good PT’s out there that will do that for you.
I had a posterior labrum surgery 5 months ago, I was told it was a significant tear. I haven’t had to much pain through out the whole rehab process but I have noticed clicking and popping when I raise my shoulder. The clicking and popping isn’t painful at all. But my shoulder still doesn’t feel completely normal. Should I be concerned about the popping. And when should I feel like my shoulder is 100 percent?
Thank you for your response!
The clicking is normal. If the shoulder supporting muscles are even a little bit weak the tendons can snap over the boney landmarks a bit. In terms of recovery, most people will say that they feel “normal” after about one year.
Hi, I’m 56, female and was a gymnast until I graduated HS (1978). About 6 months ago I was hit by a fence that fell on me as I walked by a construction site. I was told I had inflammation of the rotator cuff. My injury seems to be getting worse. I’ve been having PT and acupuncture this whole time. No one could figure out why I’m not better, and getting worse. Last week I got a hold of my MRI report and it says I have a torn labrum. Seems I’ve been misdiagnosed. Is it possible I’ve caused more damage by trying to use my arm? I’m getting a second opinion and am expecting I’ll need surgery. I stopped all treatments until I see another orthopedist. I’d like to know what your opinion is on next steps, suggestions, recovery for me etc. I’m still a very active woman. Never had a shoulder injury before. This is quite painful!
Conservative treatment for a labral tear involves gently and gradually strengthening your rotator cuff, so in my opinion you have not been wasting your time with the PT. Make sure that the second doc knows that you have been doing the physical therapy. I am luke-warm on a 56 year old having a labral repair, the outcome measures are not fantastic, but you may get some good improvement in terms of pain. If you do elect to have it repaired, the recovery process will likely be upwards of a year, with gradual improvements noted from month to month.
I’m way to active to continue with this pain and lack of range of movement. There is so much I cannot do. Will surgery, in your opinion, improve my range of motion and reduce or elimnate the pain after a full recovery? I realize it will not ake time.
I had arthroscopic surgery to repair my torn labrum about a year ago. Once physical therapy ended I did not do my shoulder exercises like I should have. I still do not have full range of motion in my shoulder, is it too late to start doing my exercises again to get the full range of motion ?
Not too late. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have it assessed by a physical therapist first to get some guidance.
I had surgery in September 2015. I went to PT about 6 wks after my surgery per my doctor. I would have thought that my shoulder would at least be back to normal by now but I have a bone in my shoulder that has been raised due to the surgery and it won’t go down. It’s prohibiting me from raising my arm straight over my head and makes throwing a ball or shooting a basketball difficult. Everytime I go to my dr. for a followup I ask him when will this bone go down and he keeps telling me that it will eventually go down, that it’s been irritated due to the surgery. I have not heard nor seen of anyone else with this issue. I’ve had a 2nd MRi on it and there’s nothing to suggest any other problems. He’s even suggested going under and doing a manipulation to help break up scar tissue to help out but I don’t want to do this. What can I do and what does this sound like? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I am not sure exactly what you mean by a bone in the shoulder being “raised”. My best guess is that if the shoulder capsule is stiff, or if the supraspinatus muscle is weak, the head of the humerus tends to migrate upwards when the arm is lifted overhead. The problem is we would treat the causes differently. If it is from a tight capsule it can be stretched out, and very often it tends to loosen over time. If it is a strength thing, then you would need to do some focused strength training for the supraspinatus.
I had my labral repair 5 weeks ago exactly. I use my sling in public and sleep, but outside of that not much. Never had trouble with pain or trouble sleeping. Occasionally, if I do something I probably shouldn’t (bearing weight, reflexively reaching when not wearing sling) I’ve had a few moments of a sharp, instant pain that’s there and gone in a second or two that scares me into thinking I may be ripping it. Could that be the case if the pain instantly disappears? Other than that there’s nothing wrong besides some expected crack/popping on occasion as well as some tenderness and noticeable scar tissue under/around the front surgical wound only (which is now closed)
Don’t worry about that. Movements can cause a sudden sharpness, it does not mean that you are doing damage.
Thank you for the speedy reply!
Do you think it’s an appropriate worry to begin sleeping with my sling off around next week (6 weeks after surgery)? Currently I couldn’t imagine the pain upon waking up if I managed to roll onto it in the middle of the night, as I’ve laid on it purposefully for 30 seconds or so to test it and it seemed rather sore after just that. However my paper guide says I can begin to sleep without it at 6 weeks
If the doc says that it is okay, then you are free to try it. I would certainly try to avoid rolling on to that side for the short term.
This is from my 17yo son that lives overseas and we struggle to get good medical advise here at times. What are your thoughts on this requiring surgery or suggested rehab. He believes this happened being hit while playing QB in a game several months ago. He has suspended playing and will not play baseball this season as well.
Thank you!!!
Clinical history. Previous Shoulder dislocation.
Right shoulder MRI , pre-and post IV contrast ( indirect MRI arthrogram).
Normal alignment of the shoulder joint.
Some irregularity noted in the acromioclavicular joint with minimal periarticular
edema is seen however there is no major joint enlargement or features of
significant impingement.
Flat type acromion.
Normal appearance of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis
tendons.
The long head of biceps is normally positioned within the bicipital groove.
Normal appearance of the intra-articular parts of the long head of the biceps.
Normal superior labrum and biceps anchor.
There is focal area of high signal intensity noted within the posterior aspect of the
glenoid bone , it could be related to previous shoulder dislocation with no
underlying masses, it does not show major enhancement after IV contrast, it only
needs observation upon any further follow-up MRI scans.
Normal appearance of the rotator cuff interval.
Normal coracoacromial and coracohumeral ligaments.
No major glenohumeral ligament injuries.
No MRI evidence of Hill Sachs lesion .
No bony Bankart.
There is an irregular tear noted in the bases of the anterior labrum that separates
the labrum from its basal attachment but the covering periosteum is a still intact.
The area of the mentioned tear is showing faint enhancement after IV contrast.
Appearances are consistent with Perthes variant of Bankart lesion. Although
the labrum is not detached but the patient will likely complaint of unstable shoulder
appearance .
No other major injuries.
I would say that for a sedentary 30 to 40 year old this could probably be managed conservatively. For a youngster who is a throwing athlete, in my opinion this will need a surgical stabilization. The labral tear would probably exacerbate with throwing over time.
My 16 yo daughter is 6 days post op for labral repair. She had a pretty severe tear, the doc used 8 anchors. She is still having pain around a 6 and is not back to school yet. Is this common to have so much pain still 6 days out? Was hoping she would be down to a 3-4 by now.
This is too early to expect the pain to decrease significantly, particularly with the number of anchors etc.. I would expect the pain to be around for a while, with a general slow decrease in symptoms from week to week (not necessarily day to day). Of course, keep the surgeon in the loop in terms of how everything is going.
personally my pain lasted about 4 weeks. every week it would go down a number. as long as you take your pain meds, and ice according to directions it will be better. my first week was the absolute worse. i could not move my arm at all and even reaching and holding things in my hand it was the worst. have patience and follow drs orders accordingly and things will be better.
I am 4 weeks into physical therapy (7 weeks post OP) and have run out of insurance-coverage on visits. My options are now continue for 50$ a visit which would be very hard due to college and rent, or continue at home. Currently I can flex my shoulder nearly straight overhead with some strain towards the top, abduct my arm nearly all the way overhead, Interally rotate completely with no strain, and external rotate nearly parallel with my body with a little straining. External rotation is certainly the weakest.
My doc called for 6-8 weeks of PT but I can’t really afford that ATM. Would it be a mistake to stop it and continue at home where I am? I’m an undergrad PT student and have a solid foundation on PT and what not-to-do to aggravate it and believe I could finish it out myself at home. The only problems are i wouldn’t have an adequate forced-stretch (which helps the most) from the PT to prevent any degree of frozen shoulder. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Also if I can add, during extension strengthening movements, my scapula wings pretty significantly. I notice this when my back is against the wall and attemp to extend, the inferior angle makes contact with the wall far before my arm does, while my right scapula maintains perfect position. Is this to be expected as my scapula tries to accommodate this missing range of motion, or is this something I need to pay careful attention to and potentially perform stretches/exercises to stop it? Thank you very much for the thoughtful answers and your time
I think that you can use this as a great opportunity to “grab the reins” of your treatment and progress with your home routine. It does sound like you are already doing quite well and healing nicely. I would ask the ortho for a rehab protocol and follow it yourself. I would just make sure that you stick to the timeframes of what is allowable and when to add new things. You should do fine, and this will make you a much better PT when it comes to dealing with post-op shoulder patients.
Thank you! Will do for sure
I am 10 weeks post anterior/posterior labrum repair surgery with 4 anchors from a sport dislocation. First 9 weeks I had amazing results with therapy, range of motion is beyond anything my therapist has ever seen. I increased resistance bands and used the body blade only at therapy, since that time I have had constant pain (burning sensation) from top of shoulder down outside of arm, same pain I was having pre surgery. I am now super scared it has retorn. I decreased resistance, but I want to know how to tell if this is just the muscle being sore from exercise or if I tore it slightly? Is there a way to know? I had no pain before only tightness/ stiffness and this is not that.
The only way to definitively know is to have it imaged. I would lay off the exercises for a good week (at least) to allow the muscles and tendons to heal up. What you are describing is actually common when the protocol transitions to more active or active / resistive phases.
Hi there
I’m about 6 weeks post OP, 3 weeks into PT, and my flexion, extension, and internal rotation are all great. However, I can’t get more than 5 or so degrees past being parallel with my foot when external rotating, without my scapula taking over and winging/retracting A LOT. My PT said I need to work on it and only has me doing a stick exercise which doesn’t seem to be helping much. She’s an elderly lady and I sometimes think I have a semi-unknowledgable PT (it seems like I recall things/movements more than her, terms, etc.).
I was wondering if there was anything I could do differently for external rotation to help it come along, or at least catch up to the rest of my movements (flexion is nearly completely straight up, extension nearly 60 degrees or so back)
The cane thing is actually a very common way that PT’s start the ball rolling with external rotation. If that is super-stiff, I think that stretching in that motion is appropriate for the time being. In terms of the scapular winging, that takes a significant amount of time and work to see results. I will typically have my patients line themselves up facing the wall and doing a “V” slide fo the arms up the wall while trying to keep the shoulder blades from winging. Ask your PT if she is familiar with that exercise.
Awesome, will do.
I tried the V slide slightly myself. At about 45 degrees up the wall, I feel a kind of ‘tugging’ under/around my scapula, but upon having my arm lifted higher by a friend, the sensation literally “poofs” away as would a knot when getting it massaged away, and then the rest of the ROM feels easy. It does this every repetition, so I tried a lacrosse ball to self massage around the scapula against a wall and I can feel TONS of knotted areas that I’ve been rolling out and holding steady pressure on. Is this a bad idea to do, 6 weeks post OP? It feels great but I don’t know if there’s any room for error in self-release around the scapula. It doesn’t hurt the shoulder at all and feels FANTASTIC.
Thank you!
Make sure that you run this by your PT and the doc please. It really depends on the protocol that they use.
I’m eight weeks post-surgery for a labral year on my right shoulder. My recovery has been pretty smooth, though at physical therapy today, I felt a burning pain in my armpit, similar to the pain I felt pre-surgery that made push-ups and other chest exercises unbearable.
Should I be concerned about this armpit pain, or is this normal at my stage of recovery?
Note: It feels like a soreness, and has also occurred upon pushing doors open. It’s only occurred today, and my PT thinks it will go away tomorrow, but the fact that it’s same pain I experienced before is making me concerned.
i had a slap tear occur january 2015, had x-rays and a contrast MRI done and nothing was shown to confirm it. october 2016 i had a corticosteroid injection. had diagnostic surgery may 2016 which confirmed the tear. was in a sling for 2 weeks, PT started 6 weeks after surgery until i reached 90 days of PT 3x a week. I have had significant popping the last few months to the point where it is rather painful sometimes. if i notice i am not in a correct posture and i open my shoulders up it pops painfully. i still sleep with a pillow propping my shoulder when i lay on my back, and when i lay on my side. not sure if its just scar tissue breaking up but the pain comes and goes. sometimes its a pulsating pain, other times its a pressure, and sometimes its a horrible stinging/burning sensation. i achieved full range of motion before my 90 day post op check up. i have been slightly debating getting another injection but the last time i got one i fainted, and my blood pressure dropped. i am an avid equestrian rider and cannot afford to be in pain. i followed dr’s and PT directions straight down to the T. not sure what is going on. i do TENS therapy on it with heat every few days, ice it after riding, and i am occasionally using voltaren gel or patches.
My 21 year old son is 9 weeks post labrum surgery and he has had a good recovery so far. He’s had regular physical therapy for the last 6 weeks and is progressing well, according to his Physical Therapist. Although he is not experiencing any pain, when he moves his shoulder back or reaches backward, he is hearing a squeaking sound. The squeaking sound started today and is loud enough to hear well, without straining.
We’ve read that popping and clicking sounds are somewhat common in the recovery process. This is more of a squeaking sound. Is this a normal part of post surgical recovery or could it be an indication of something more serious? Thank you.
If it is not painful I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. I have heard that sound before with post-op shoulders. It should abate as his shoulder gets stronger over time. As always, keep the doc in the loop in terms of symptoms.
I am 12 weeks post op for a slap tear repair. Everything was going wonderfully until about 9 weeks into my PT. I hadn’t experienced much pain at all with the repair. Then all of a sudden, around 9 weeks post op I developed a non stop pain in my skapula, to my bicep down to my elbow. I have a shoulder “hike” taking place and am extremely stiff.
This week my surgeon decided a shoulder manipulation may help. It seems to have given me a bit more ROM but my shoulder/arm cont’s to hurt non stop and of course I still have the shoukder hiking going on.
Is this normal for that type of pain to just….. happen and not go away? The pain is horrible!
Thanks
I would ask the doc if you have developed adhesive capsulitis. This happens to a significant percentage of shoulder post-ops. If it is this, it will likely take some time to go away.
Hey, I had surgery for my slap tear. The work healed well and I am just jumping through the hoops to get back to “normal”. I have been told/read to wait exactly 6 months. I’m on just past 4 months and am dieing to start working out. I have tried with bands and very light weights, and I feel positive; range of motion and most lifts. I do not feel pain during the sessions or there after for the most part. My worst cases are after a bad night of sleep and rolling around on my shoulder (very bad, pain usually lasts over a day). Besides a bad night of sleep, the only pain I generally have are down my forearm and almost into my hand, but it’s light and more just annoying. There does seem to be some “smooth catching” in one motion though, standing front raises. My question is am I starting to work out to soon even though I feel great. And should I be worried about the slight pain going in my forearm. Is the pain created when a bed night of sleep or annoying pain in the forearm/hand an indicator that I’m starting to soon? My surgeon say wait 6 months to a dot. I have swung golf clubs among other activities without any current pain or pain afterwards. I hate waiting, and I feel like I’m just trying to get the answer I want. But like I said, the on pain is after bad sleep and random annoying pain in my forearm. Thank you
Forearm pain in general does not refer from the shoulder, so my guess is that the forearm pain is something else that is indirectly related to the lack of normal strength in the shoulder. In term of getting back to weight training, I do think that six months is a good timeframe. This needs to be a very gradual build up, so the light weight that you are doing now sounds appropriate. It is indeed better to be patient about this and stick to the protocol.
Hi, ive just had my surgery yesterday for labral repair on my left shoulder. I had a nerve block and its currently wearing off and now the pain is kicking in quite intensely. I am on zapain and ibruprofen together but i keep gettin a feeling that my shoulder is spasming and wanting to.dislocate again. Is this normal. I am in a sling aswell and want to know how tight/loose it should be. Thankyou
I would let the doctor know about the pain level etc.. The sling can be adjusted a bit for comfort, but it should feel like it is supporting your forearm from underneath.
In 2008 I had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum and frayed rotator cuff. I recovered fine, and returned to sports and an active lifestyle over the past 7-8 years. Recently, while lifting weights (incline bench press), I felt a twinge in the same shoulder. Over the past week, the pain has not receded much with rest. I cannot reach across my body without pain with that arm, nor lift my arm much past a 45 degree angle without pain. Turning the wheel of my car hurts that shoulder. I can do push-ups, and reach behind my back just fine, and rotation of the arm outward while keeping the elbow in results in no pain. Rotating my elbow upward while bent also results in no pain. Most of the strengthening exercises I was given while in physical therapy recovering from the arthroscopic surgery result in no pain in the shoulder. 24 years old, male.
I am concerned that I have re-injured my shoulder. Does this sound like something I need a specialist to look at?
It sounds like a rotator cuff irritation / impingement. One of the rotator cuff tendons may have rubbed up against the shelf above it with the inclined motion. I would avoid the overhead activities to allow healing. The pain may take a month or two to calm down. I would also let the doc know about it.
Hello! Thank you for having this forum, I have found reading the comments to be very helpful in my own recovery. I have recently experienced a setback in my recovery and am concerned that I may be in the beginning stages of adhesive capsulitis. I am six weeks post-op from a SLAP repair to my right shoulder.There was also damage to the biceps tendon, however, my surgeon elected not to do a biceps tenodesis. He performed debridement and a repair of the labrum with two anchors. This injury is four years old and initially was sustained in a weightlifting accident. My symptoms prior to the surgery were painful popping in the biceps area followed by aching and extreme heaviness of the whole arm. I had attended a few different courses of physiotherapy prior to the surgery none of which helped.I had near full range of motion in the shoulder but it felt very stiff at the end ranges and my right neck mobility was quite limited. For the first four weeks following the surgery my recovery seemed to be going quite well. I started pendulum exercises the second day after surgery. I wore my sling at all times except for showering, exercises and sleep. Sleeping has been pretty difficult and I am still sleeping with pillows piled pretty high. However, I did not take any pain medications from two days post op to four weeks. I started physiotherapy one week post-op and for the first few weeks she was quite happy with my passive range of motion and thought I was ahead. However,I saw my surgeon at four weeks post-op and he told me that I was quite stiff and needed to get out of the sling. He also told me I needed to push hard on active assisted physiotherapy exercises and he told me to push through pain. I saw my physiotherapist two days later and she gave me several exercises to perform (wall crawls, external rotation using a dowel and some other stretches). She told me to do the exercises every two or three hours. At that time, she still felt my passive range of motion was quite good. I then went away for 10 days on vacation. I continue to perform my exercises during this time every two or three hours as she suggested. It was quite painful and as per my surgeon’s advice I kept pushing past the pain. I was making limited improvements in my range of motion. I could not get past about 110° of shoulder flexion on the wall crawls. I also started taking Advil to relieve the pain. The shoulder continue to get more sore but I did not stop as I believed this was likely a normal part of the recovery. On the way home I had an incident on an escalator where I lost my balance and fell to the right side ways. I did not fall with my arm outstretched but my right shoulder hit the railing of the escalator and my muscles all tensed up. I felt immediate pain for 10 to 15 minutes. However, by the next day the pain seemed to die down but it was difficult to tell because my shoulder had been continuously sore at that point anyways. I did my exercises three times that day and went for a 90 minute walk without the sling. My shoulder was very sore that night so I stopped the exercises. The next day I saw my physiotherapist for the first time in 10 days and we were both surprised by how limited my passive range of motion was! it was way worse than at the four-week point.I seemed to have significantly regressed despite following all of the recommendations of my health care professionals. My physiotherapist told me to reduce my exercises to three times per day and I will continue to follow up with her twice per week. My concern now is trying to prevent it from continuing to stiffen up. I am concerned that continuing with the exercises at this point will further aggravate it. However, I am also concerned that it will continue to stiffen up by not doing the exercises. I feel that I am at a key point in my recovery and don’t want to do anything to further mess it up at this point. I have lost a bit of confidence in my physiotherapist at this point as well as my ability to understand my own limits. my right arm is still pretty useless at this point as I can only use it for light activities between waist and shoulder level. I still cannot fully feed myself with it. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, its much appreciated.
I had a posterior repair 5 months ago that I managed to retear, likely during a car wreck last month. The sutures were still attached so the labrum itself wasnt shredded, but it had torn off the bone in the spots it had previously reattached itself.
Obviously I’m rather paranoid about a 3rd tear, so am skipping any PT until 8 weeks post surgery. Given I’m a healthy athlete with much greater than average shoulder strength (150 lb dumbbell presses before the first surgery) am I losing out? I feel a too rapid return to mobility work may have weakened my original repair.
Also what are your feelings on stem cell and hgh treatments post surgery? Doctors here offer both but they are very expensive.
I think that taking the conservative route is a good idea in your case. The repairs should be fully intact at 6-7 weeks, so a gentle transition into PT anytime after that should be fine (but get the okay from the MD please). In regards to the stem cell injections, it is really anecdotal in terms of effectiveness. I have had a few patients over the last few years who swear that it made a huge difference. I am not sure that there is much in terms of meta-data research that points conclusively to great results.
Thank you for the prompt reply, my surgeon said he belives the repair to be fully healed at 3 months and put no restrictions on me
To me this seemed a bit early, especially as many other sources say it takes twice that time to be fully “hardened” – what is your opinipn on that? It seems like doing heavy lifting or even trying to overstretched the shoulder at 3 months might retear a repair?
I am 10 weeks post labral repair and bicep tenodesis, I started PT at 7 weeks post op per surgeons inctructions, I have 2 main concerns; I’ve had a substantial amount of tissue harden in my bicep area due to being in a sling the entire 7 weeks with no movement allowed whatsoever and nerve pain that seems to becoming more intolerable and was just wondering if anyone experienced either of these.
I would gather that the longer you are out of the sling, the less of a problem the biceps and the nerve issues should be. It might be a good idea to get some massage work done to the anterior chest and neck. Those areas do take a beating from the forward, contracted positioning that the sling puts you in.
I am a 22 y/o division 1 wrestler and had a bankart repair and partial rotator cuff surgery. I started rehab week 2 and was very light until about week 6. I am having trouble getting through end range currently at
146 abduction
45 adduction
40 ER
46 IR (at 90 degrees)
My should stiffens up and locks up but it doesn’t seem to be to much scare tissue I think it is more very right capaule/surgery any advice would be very helpful thanks. I am getting pretty nervous with my ROM coming back
I’m 13 weeks out btw . Forgot to mention
Did you ask the doc if he or she thinks that you are getting a frozen shoulder? That happens fairly often with surgeries like that. Given your age however I do not think that this would be the case.
It is still relatively early in the process, I would not be freaked out about not having total ranges. As long as you see small improvements from week to week it is probably going fine.
My husband it a PGA golf instructor and fell down the staircase in our home in the middle of the night, he got a MRI which showed he has a Labrum tear in his shoulder, he is scheduled in May for appointment with specialist for surgery (soonest they had available). His primary care told him this type of injury can take 6mo to a year to recover from. Is there any patients that play golf or golf is their career that can give some feedback on their recovery and golf swing after?
I agree with the PCP. Six months to a year is a normal scope of recovery. He should be able to fully swing a club, it is just going to take some time.
Hello, I am 25. I am an active photographer and mother of a 5 year old, I have a labrum tear and a 10mm cyst from it, I have been living with the pain for almost 2 months do you think surgery would be best to fix this problem it effects my everyday life
I have also done ot for those months, I will see the orthopedic surgeon in 2 weeks, just trying to figure what is more than likely going to be the outcome
I think that the last sentence of your first comment is very telling. If it is really effecting your everyday life and making you miserable despite conservative management, I would consider surgery.
Hello, I am now about 7.5 weeks post OP, 5 weeks into therapy, left arm SLAP repair with 4 anchors.
I am experiencing a “pulling/grating/popping” around the inferior angle of my scapula and up around toward/into the serratus, as well as a semi-annoying “burning” sensation in that area as well. The “grating/snapping/pulling” (grating is the best word for what I believe I’m feeling) happens in the last few degrees of shoulder flexion and especially abduction.
My PA seemed to think it was snapping scapular syndrome, and my physical therapist is trying some movements with me and overall scapular strengthening but so far (about 2 weeks into the process of scapular strengthening) in only seems to be getting worse.
I’m wondering if you’re experienced with this, especially up around the inferior angle into the serratus. Self massage feels good and i can feel muscle knotted up in that area, but my PA advised i abstain from making a massage therapist appointment for a few more weeks
Other than that, my shoulder range of motion is coming along very nicely!
Thank you!
Hi,
I had anthroscopic bankart repair 4 weeks ago, and yesterday I accidentally rotated my shoulder externally while pressing on a light switch on the wall. It did felt stretched for an instant but there was no lingering pain or discomfort as soon as my arm was brought back down in neutral position. I am worried that I damaged the repair though, is that possible?
Thank you for reading.
It is highly unlikely that you messed anything up.
Hi! I had arthroscopic labral repair 7 weeks ago. Two anchors. Today I carried a heavy grocery bag on my unoperated shoulder a few blocks (maybe 15 lbs) and I noticed it really pulling on my operated shoulder. Now at home my operated shoulder is more stiff and achy than before. Could this damage the repair?
I don’t see how that could have given that you carried with the other side. You may encounter a bit of strain with these new movements, but I highly doubt it would pull an anchor loose.
I had a slap tear a little over 2 years ago when I was 15. I opted for surgery and had it repaired as well as 4 anchors put in for a bad fray across the back. Every day activities were fine and the surgery was said to be a success. But I am a pitcher and the recovery was super slow. In the last few months, I was finally gaining on velocity and stamina. 10 days ago I felt something not right. It feels like it did when I tore it the 1st time. I met with my PCP today and got a referral to my surgeon. My shoulder is now “popping” and “creaking” very similar to about 6-8 weeks post op. What do you think?
I think that high velocity pitching in general places a huge amount of stress on the shoulder structures. You should probably have it imaged to see what is going on, and definitely back off anything intense for the time being.
I am 25, 5 weeks post SLAP surgery, and I am on my second week of PT. The surgery was a result of 2 shoulder dislocations over a month. The 2nd was in my armpit for 3 hours before it was popped back in. The dislocations caused 3/4th of my labrum to be torn (4 anchors), a fracture to my humeral head, and edema/pulled tendons.
Post-surgery I have found that it is very painful to try and straighten my arm and my shoulder and the muscles around my elbow are extremely sore/ tight. I haven’t been wearing my sling this week so my arm can get more motion, but the pain from my shoulder to my elbow and down to my wrist is very intense and often causes numbness in my hand when I try and get my arm to straighten. I know that the lack of movement pre and post-surgery has caused this tightness, but I am wondering how long it will last.
The first week of PT my physical therapist manipulated my shoulder on the table which was so painful, but this week he jumped straight from little movement to me using a pulley to pull my arm over my head as far and as straight as possible (since I want to recover ASAP, I have been pushing my body to the absolute farthest it can go which I hope isn’t hurting my recovery). The movement has been very painful to my shoulder, but especially to my elbow and armpit. He also had me rolling my arm out on a foam roller and doing the hand bicycle machine. Is it ok to being raising my arm above my head with the pulley just 5 weeks after surgery? I don’t want the labrum to be damaged again because I did too much too fast. I know shoulder PT is supposed to be painful, but now I am sitting here in constant pain in my shoulder/back, elbow, and armpit and feel that my bicep muscle is swollen. Is this pain and discomfort normal or do you think I did too much? It sometimes is sharp/burning pain near where my surgery was done. Could my inability to fully straighten my arm be effecting my shoulder PT? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would ask the MD for his or her written post-operative protocol for this type of surgery. There are a few variations in protocols, so I would make sure that you are doing the right stuff and the right time. All that I can tell you is nowadays with mot protocols there is not much going on for the first 4-6 weeks. You did have quite a bit of work done, so I think that slow and steady is probably a good way to go.
Just wanted to say thank you for your quick response, and update anyone who might read this forum and find it helpful in their recovery. I had a follow up appointment today and my doctor said because I had so much scaring from the trauma to my shoulder, it is probably causing extra pain and not to worry about it.
My doctor and PT also think that the chronic pain in my elbow and wrist is caused by the nerve that runs through my arm. They think when my shoulder was dislocated in my armpit for 3 hours it caused some sort of damage to the nerve. He is sending me for an appointment right away with a nerve specialist tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can get some answers from him because the nerve pain is really making it hard to recover my shoulder. I just wanted to post for people who may be experiencing the same pain I am and think they are crazy for complaining. You know when your body isn’t working right, so don’t be afraid to ask your doctor or physical therapist about discomfort. That discomfort might be inhibiting you from recovering fully.
Frozen shoulder -eeek!
Hello! I a 33 year old female, nearly 8 weeks post slap repair requiring two anchors. I started PT week two and weaned out of the sling starting on week 4. My range of motion has been very slow. My PT can’t seem to get me past 130 shoulder flexion passively and active range of motion at the shoulder is near nonexistent. She now said the dreaded words “frozen shoulder” today and she also believes my sympathetic nervous system is having some sort of response affecting my recovery. I work as an occupational therapist and had to cancel all my optimistically booked assessments for April as I still can’t drive (safely). I have follwed all rehab protocol and recommendations exactly. My questions are : 1. What is the best possible recovery time for a frozen shoulder? I know that worst case is years or further surgery ew 2. What can I do now to actively prevent it from getting worse? Should I go more agressive with exercises or keep it more gentle? It seems that when I push too hard it becomes inflamed and tenses up yet it becomes stiff when I don’t move it enough. Thanks for any feedback!
I would keep the exercises on the gentle side. If it is indeed the early stags of a frozen shoulder, pushing it too aggressively can make it more inflamed. The duration of a frozen shoulder is highly variable: I have seen them last for a few months and in some cases longer than one year. I would get the diagnosis from the doctor to be sure.
I am in a predicament. I’m 53 years old, female and 5 months ago fell down the stairs at home and snatched my right shoulder on the railing before falling and then falling on it. I was in a hurry as my father 3 hours away was in ICU and had to be put on life support. I stayed with him and started noticing a couple weeks later I couldn’t sleep on that shoulder. I then waited to go to the doctor because i thought it would get better. instead it was really bad, so went to pCP and he ordered MRI. The MRI without contrast showed a labral tear with fraying and impingement. I started getting nerve pain.
I have had ulcerative colitis so I take NSAIDS sparingly if at all and I have glaucoma with partial blindness in one eye so steroids are contraindicated. I’m a health provider, NP, GYN and want to go back to work eventually part time.
My father is still on life support and frequent drives and carrying suitcases 3 hours away. The Ortho that I was referred to said surgery best option after he looked at images because of limited injections, pain level, etc.
meanwhile, my mom who is not wanting my dad now to stay on life support has decided that week after my surgery she is going to pull the plug.
My surgery was scheduled for april 12 and now if I reschedule I will continue to live in really bad pain all day and night but if I have the surgery then, are most people able to ride as a passenger in a car 4 hours away and go through such mental stress too?
Tomorrow is my preop. I feel so stuck in this situation. I cant’ miss my dads funeral if he passes.
my other question is progressive pain and now weakness in that arm mean a progressive tear or worsening impingement?
Please advise. Thantks so much. Reading through these comments, I see that I’m looking at a longer recovery. That is the other problem. I have one person my husband who will be my support and he is not going to be dependable that long. It’s just a mess.
Stitching girl
The timing of this sounds horrible. I would try to get this done sooner (weeks or a month or two) rather than later, because you really do not have any control over the other family variables, and you might find that it may never seem like the right time to do this. You could probably make it past your father’s situation in the near term without having the surgery. If the pain is getting worse that might mean that the tear is worsening, but it also may just be the impingement pain. There really is no way to be sure without imaging.
You should be able to have a long car ride after the surgery, but it will likely be a bit uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend it for at least the first 3-4 weeks post op.
Hello,
I received surgery for a slap tear in my left shoulder in October of 2015. I had 6 anchors put in and had a 60% tear. I also had tiny fragments of bone hanging around in there. I had those removed during the surgery. I received physical therapy for about 8 months after my surgery. I felt that I was making improvements but then I found out I was pregnant. My physical therapist felt that I wouldn’t be making much improvement because of my pregnancy. I continued to do some of my strengthing excercises during the pregnancy. I am in the Marines and I am currently expected to do either pull ups or push ups for my physical fitness test. I have been working out for the past month and a half vigorously. I have always had a dull pain since the surgery and I figured it was my new normal so I ignored it. Now I am almost in tears when I do 9 push ups. I have no idea if I popped an anchor or if I reinjured myself. My question is should I be in tears this late after receiving surgery? Is there a big possibility of reinjury? Thanks so much for your help!
At this point you should not have that type of reaction to push ups. It is possible that if you have a strength deficiency in certain shoulder or scapular muscles that could happen. I would have a physical therapist watch you do the push ups to see in something funky is going on with the shoulder blade. If mechanically everything looks good, then I would see the doc about it.
I am a 22 year old male and workout everyday for a few hours. My orthopedic doctor confirmed a torn larbrum spring last year, and I just said I’m fine. Yesterday, a sports medicine doctor affirmed it. I am getting an MRI to see the extent of the damage. I tore it freshman year of high school I think. I vividly remember falling on my elbow and my shoulder disclocating. It hurt for a couple weeks and I moved on. I have been lifting ever since. 340 pound bench, strong overhead, 30 pull ups, 500 lb deadlift, and now I’m doing heavy Olympic lifting which involves snatching and other supplemental overhead movements. It has never felt 100% but I just felt like I could power through it. Assuming it is a minor tear and considering all I have been able to do considering it’s been torn, is 9 months still the likely recovery time??
9-12 months sounds about right. You are going to have to be patient about the recovery protocol. I do not advise skipping ahead with timelines even if you are feeling great. When this is all said and done you also need to become hypersensitive to how the shoulder is healing. The amount of weight that you are doing puts you at higher risk for re-tearing.
Hello! I was recently diagnosed with a 9 and 12 o’clock labrum tear with loose bodies and some subtle cartilage damage. The surgeon told me that full recovery and regaining full ability is unlikely at best. He also mentioned cutting the bicep tendon to reduce risk of future tears, which is less than appealing and something I don’t think I will commit to as someone who enjoys weight lifting. But this is something we will talk about in further detail when I get closer to a surgery date. I’m a 29 year old female who lives a very active lifestyle. Have you had patients with a similar diagnosis that experienced quality recoveries? Thanks
At your age, you will probably get most of your function and strength back. The biceps thing is tricky because it does attach on to the labrum. I would take a look at your routine when the shoulder is recovered and modify some of the more risky exercises. I would advise talking to your PT about this.
Appreciate the feedback. Thanks again!
Hello-I am 5 weeks post op with a 11 to 3 type V labrum lesion with no biceps tendon problems at all. I had 3-4 anchors put in and the bicep was left alone. The recovery went well up until the 2.5 week mark. My 2 year old bit me in the back and I reflexively pulled my elbow back to guard very quickly (surgical shoulder). I was still in the sling without the pillow, so my arm did not flail outward and was close to my body. I had a quick zap of pain in the front of shoulder for 30 seconds and that was it. PT and surgical assistant said not to worry and to go back on anti-inflammatories for a week. I did so and have continued to progress well through PT, which started the day after surgery. My AAROM is almost 180 degrees and has been so for many weeks. My concern is that I have been raising/testing my arm flexion unassisted a little above shoulder level for about 3 weeks (didn’t realize I shouldn’t do that). When my arm is hanging at my side while standing, I feel a pulling/pressure sensation around labrum area. This seems to get less and less as I go throughout my day! My question is two parts, 1) do either of the actions I described sound concerning for damage to the repair? 2) Is the pulling/pressure normal sensation at this time? Thank you for your help and your site is very helpful!
I wouldn’t test the shoulder like that, there is still a minimal risk of anchor damage up until at least six weeks. The pulling / pressure sensation is common and to be expected. I think that from what you said it is going well, just don’t push your luck.
Thank you for responding to me! Originally, I figured it was the same as the AAROM forward flexion with a cane. I guess gravity makes a difference. I will not perform anymore unassisted forward flexion. I wish they would give out a sheet of actions you should avoid. Thanks again!
Hi.. I had surgery for a Slap 4 Labral repair 2 years ago. I went through the physical therapy program and have had great progress. I have given up strengthening the shoulder a while ago and I am now seeing the pain resurface. Is it possible that the labrum tore off the bone again? What are my options? This happened when I recently tried to re condition my shoulder with certain exercises. Thanks, Jim
This sounds more like a strength or mechanical issue. I would have a physical therapist look at the shoulder to see if there is a strength issue going on.
I was in a car crash in February 2016 and after PT and Work conditioning I finally got workers compensation to recognize the injury to my shoulder. Had a rotator cuff tear and labrum tear plus a bone spur. All was repaired in January 2017. The doctor says with the length of time that’s passed from time of injury and repair I will not return to full duty of my job as a deputy sheriff. I am in PT now, was wondering your thoughts if it’s possible for a 100% recovery and return. And if so what time frame would it take?
I would say one year for a full outcome. There are many variables that can determine how close to 100% you are going to get. The older we are, generally speaking the lower the outcome (especially for the 40 and over crowd). Your previous level of fitness, genetics, and the extent of the damage are all also prognostic indicators.
My 15 year old daughter had a labrum repair exactly 2 years ago. She had 6 anchors placed in her right shoulder. She is an athlete participating in both competitive cheerleading and basketball. She completed about 7 months of physical therapy post surgery and eased her way back into sports. She has sucessfully completed one cheer and two basketball seasons since her repair. She is very strong and takes a weight lifting class at school so I don’t believe strengthening her shoulder is needed. In the last few weeks during cheer conditioning she has been experiencing increased pain in her shoulder. Not just overstretching soreness but pain similar to what she had prior to her surgery. She has not experienced any specific trauma to the shoulder but her coach has asked her to do some push ups and crab walks during practice which have never been comfortable for her since surgery. How common is a reinjury 2 years post surgery for regular exercise motions and not a significant trauma. We are very worried she is reinjured. She also has a history of a labrum tear in her hip that has been managed with injection. Is injection an option for a post surgical teen on a shoulder?
Six anchors typically means a considerable tear. My guess is that she might generally be more hyper-extensible through her joints than the average athlete and thus more susceptible to injury. I would have her strength and mobility assessed by a PT in order to see if there is an issue that can be addressed. I do not think that having an injection will particularly help her long-term.
I am a 49 year old male firefighter who had a SLAP tear repaered in November the procedure required 2 anchors. Within one week of surgery, I had started PT 3 times per week. I just ended PT last week and now I’m I to my first week of work harding.
I have continued freezing/locking of the arm and popping. I have about 80% of range of motion back but have several areas of very limited use. Along with strength issues. I can say that I am committed to PT and give 150% at each visit , along with stretching and lite exercise at home.
I’m starting to worry that I will not get back to 100%…..in my line of work anything under100% is not acceptable. I am getting ready for a new MRA to see what’s causing the pain, numbness and locking.
Any thoughts?
The outcomes for a 49 year old are not fantastic compared to that of a 25 year old. I do think that you will be much better by the end of this year compared to where you are now. It will normally take one year for this process to take place. My advice is work it out, allow it to rest for at least 1-2 days, then repeat. You and I will recover more slowly than the youngsters.
I had a slap tear repair nov 29th, 2016….I stopped physical therapy about 2 months ago and have just been at the house doing bands and stuff and I recently went back to the gym a few weeks ago, and it feels good, granite I’m not lifting heavy at all, but it is sore and about 3 weeks ago I started stretching and like locking my shoulder and flexing and whenever I release the tension and lower my arm there are some pretty loud pops in my shoulder, and now it’s really sore and achy, I really hope I didn’t re injure anything after 10 months of recovery, anybody this far along with this issue?
Hi Dan-
I am almost 7 weeks post surgery with 3 anchors put in my right shoulder. Do you think there is any risk with a therapist using the posterior glide method to help with mobility? I get super sore the following day when this method is used. My surgeon’s instructions say gentle mobility as per therapist’s modalities. Thank you for your help!
Hello, once again, thanks for helping so many people on here.
For me, I hurt my shoulder playing baseball (throwing) when I was 14. I was playing ice hockey the same year and I took a hit and there was something actually in my armpit (like part of my shoulder). I was afraid, but I just ignored it and it seemed to heal.
I have partially dislocated my shoulder since then from climbing a tree, falling on it while wrestling, and having it partially pop out after falling on ice during hockey. I went to a doctor a couple of years ago in China and he did an MRI (French doctor). He said it was torn and that he would have to go in for surgery from the front of the shoulder (which would leave a big scar), but my insurance didn’t cover it after all, so I didnt get it done.
Now, I am 33 and still playing ice hockey at a competitive men’s level, but it doesn’t really pop out at all. I can feel its hanging slightly out of socket all the time, but I have kind of gotten used to it, and I can pretty much do everything normally except maybe throw a football/baseball. Should I look into the surgery again? Is it worth it to fix or should I just kind of live with it now?
Thanks!
John in Canada
That certainly sounds like you have an instability problem. My guess is that this is going to become more of an issue at some point. I would see an orthopedist and get a fresh set of eyes on the problem. I would most certainly refrain from overhead and throwing type movements in the interim. You are young enough to have a very good outcome if you do have the shoulder stabilized surgically.
Hello I am an ultra runner who took a bad fall during a race in September 2016: big donwhill on a moutain trail (arm outstretched above the head). Long story short, after an ultra sound and an MRI, I was diagnosed with bursitis, tendinopathy, capsulitis and some small spurs. Went to PT, had a couple of steroid injections: hardly any progress. I did rest and adhered strictly to the protocol. I had some issue communicating with my sports medicine specialist, so I went and consulted an orthopedic surgeon: who ordered an MRI arthrogram (PT recommended that but previous doc chose a steroid shot instead). The MRI arthrogram results are in and I have a partial thickness tearing of the anterior supraspinatus tendon, mild tendinopathy and subtle partial thickness tearing of the subscapularis tendon and a bit of fraying of the posterior superior labrum. The surgeon has given me choices of treatment (different injections) or arthroscopic surgery. I am leaning toward surgery. My therapist does not think that she can helps more than what she has done (things move better, but we can never get to the strengthening phase of rehab).
I feel that surgery is the only way to fix my problems: I have some problems with dressing, running is not exactly happening.
In your opinion, are the injuries caused by the fall or over use (on top of my head, I ran 2 marathons, 5 50k, 1 40 miler, 1 50 miler, 1 100k, a ball park 15 half marathons, plus some smaller events for speed work in the past 2 years). Hips, knees and feet are fine by the way. Also, I carry my water in a camel back (so I don’t think that the injury comes from the arm swing/water bottle combo).Can I expect full recovery?
Right now, I can’t even conceive running a half marathon. Forgot to mention it, but my ribs were also displaced during the fall. Iam 42. Thank you
My guess is that the surgery will help, but it will take at least a year to get the full benefit. If you are having major disruptions just from dressing, that would be reason enough for many people to have the work done.
The over-forty crowd start to get diminishing returns from these types of surgeries. I do think however that you should eventually be able to run.
Hi my boyfriend had a labrum repair 2 and half years ago. His first physio he went to see, pushed him way too far too soon after surgery. Which made things so much worse. It’s now been 2 and half years and he’s seeing another physio every 6 weeks, as well as doing physio at home. However he still gets pain in his shoulder and he now has tendinitis in his bicep. He is a PT however he now can’t even do a push up. He’s adamant that it can’t be fixed due to scar tissue having now formed incorrectly. Is there anything that can help him get back to how he was before his labrum tear? Working out was his life and without it he’s really struggling. He’s even giving up on physio because he can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Hmmm. I would have a fresh set of eyes look at the problem. Ask around and find the most reputable, experienced PT in your area who deals with shoulders. I have found that in some of these cases something is being overlooked. His scapular strength and shoulder mobility need to be looked at very closely. A lot of the time a tricky patient like your boyfriend needs to start with very simple exercises to strengthen a certain muscle or muscle group.
I’m so glad to see you’re answering questions still!
I commented a few months ago, and overcame the problems then
I’m almost 3 months post-OP SLAP, 4 anchors. I have 99% ROM and have been out of therapy for a few weeks now. I have tons of strength back and it’s great! But I’m having one major problem. There a tendon, I think it’s my pectoralis tendon, that leads from my chest-across into my arm just above the armpit that’s incredibly weak, and more-so the further towards shoulder abduction I get as opposed to shoulder flexion.
For example, I can front raise a 15 lb dumbbell with ease and no pain, however attempting even a 5 lb lateral raise is incredibly hard and gives me a 3-4/10 pain, only momentarily during the movement. The tendon itself even feels almost guitar/string like, as if there’s not much to it. My PT even commented on it about 2 months ago but never said much else about it. I’m trying to figure out how to fix this. It also hurts when I’m lying on my back and do external rotation movements, and start bringing my arm back into Internal rotation.
Sorry for the novel. If you have any advice it’d be greatly appreciated! Thank you
I would say that this will likely get better with time and a very slow return into strengthening. One comment here, you are starting back to weights a bit too quickly. Most post-op protocols don’t introduce weights until at least 16 weeks. I would maybe back off the weight a bit and focus more on strengthening the rotator cuff and scapular muscles over an exercise ball for a month or so. What you are feeling might be an overloading of certain tendons. We don’t need you developing tendonitis.
Thanks! I actually haven’t been doing lateral raises or anything of the sort, it was just a comparison for the sake of the argument.
Also, one more thing, just under the end of my clavicle, I can’t really distinguish where, coracoid-ish area, I have a popping that occurs anytime I roll my shoulders or beat any sort of wait and move my arm whether it be a 10lb dumbbell curl, lifting something off the table, pushing a door to open it, etc. No associated pain, just something I want to figure out incase it inhibits me down the road. I have a 3 month checkup with my doctor next week and I’ll be sure to bring it up there too
Just had surgery about 3 weeks ago and I too suffer/suffered from this issue. I’ve asked my PT and he says sometimes you can get “referred” pain or it could be a whole other injury all together. I just want to know if my shoulder instability could have caused the problem?
Hi, I had a partial labral tear of my shoulder 7 years ago. I’ve had two MRI’s done with the most recent 3 years ago and did physical therapy 3 different times. I have full range of motions with no issues. However, when I’m at rest I have dull pains once in a while in that area that makes me uneasy sometimes at work at at the movie theater. I’ve seen three orthopedics in the past who all recommend therapy and no surgery. Now, should i have another look again? I do no want to get older with the same pain nagging me but it gets frustrating sometimes. Thanks for any advice you have.
I would have a fresh set of eyes look at the problem. Find a reputable PT in your area who has lots of experience. Sometimes if you do some very specific strengthening it can help with resting pain like that. I labral tear is a labral tear, but if there is an underlying mechanical issue it may be contributory.
Did you experienced any redislocation ??
And did you return to full ROM ?
am like you but afraid of surgery
Dan,
I had SLAP surgery 14 weeks ago and recently went to the doctor for my last visit. I have most of my ROM back but want to get 100% of it back. I am struggling getting motion back with the “tucking in my shirt” motion. I am doing a towel exercise to raise my arm behind my back. This seems to improve it temporarily but the next day the improvement is gone until I do the exercise again. Do you know of any other exercises to get this particular motion back and will it come back?
Also, I am still having pain in the top of my shoulder when I raise my arm up. My doctor said it is “an inflamed AC Joint.” I am only 23 years old and keep running into shoulder problems. I had Rotator Cuff Surgery 3 years ago and do not want a third surgery on the same shoulder. My doctor said if the pain continues I could get a shot and that should help but I don’t want to do this. Should I be concerned or is this normal? Also, what can I do for the AC Joint besides the shot?
Thank you!
I think that working on “internal rotation” exercise #20 in the shoulder exercise prompt might help building internal rotation strength. (The password is “patient”). In regards to the AC joint, I would avoid push ups or presses for the short term. The AC joint does get cranky if the shoulder blades are not in a good position, so I think that the scapular work over an exercise ball is a great idea. (I, t, y, exercise #19)
Thank you so much for your help!
Does the surgery work? (I have read that full shoulder recovery rate is very low)!!
I was studying my YTT (yoga teacher training) and injured my shoulder (labral tear), I am hypermobile and love all manner of inversions (headstands, handstands etc)!!! I feel destroyed at the moment…..I can’t even plank without pain 18 months on 😢!!!
Is there any way I could ever get back to yoga again???
The surgery has greater success for younger individuals in general, but there are a bunch of other indicators of prognosis. If you are hyper-mobile and have sustained this injury while performing yoga, I would find something else to do (pilates????). Even if you do get a great outcome, you should not be stretching to end-ranges because of your body type.
Good afternoon,
I had Labrum surgery in January 2015 after injuring it playing college football. My surgery and rehab went well, and I gained back most of my shoulder mobility. For 2 years, I have not had any issues with pain or discomfort. Unfortunately, Last night I dislocated it playing flag football. I’m disappointed because I assume I’ll eventually have to have the surgery done again. What are the chances of dislocating a shoulder in which you’ve previously had surgery one without damaging or tearing the labrum? What would you suggest my course of action be for the next few weeks as it is healing?
In my experience, if you dislocate the shoulder it is nearly certain that the labrum has been damaged in some fashion. I would keep it relatively immobile for a week or two, and then get a gentle stabilization routine based on the direction of the dislocation. Most people dislocate anteriorly, but I would confirm with a PT which exercises are best for you.
17 yo high school football player felt sharp pain running 40 yd dash in training. Treated as groin pull for 4 to 5 weeks. Return for spring practice week 2 pain started again, sent for hip eval. Rotational exam and xray leads Dr to believe (FAI) labrel tare.Should have contrast MRI this week. Team Dr is also orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hips and also a small D1 football programs Dr.. Due to fact 17 yo will be going into Sr year, Dr said will try everything to get him to play his Sr year and surgery can be done after season, if he can deal with the pain via PT and Anti inflammatory. Told him if he were going into Jr year he would recommend surgery now and rehab Jr year.Non medicated, He can’t fire out of 3 or 4 point stance without pain. That and jogging distance is only time pain is present. In your professional opinion and experience will a 17 yo who has highly muscular lower body, be able to be stretched and aligned enough to make playing.his Sr year possible with a laberal tare ? We realize contrast MRI will tell us more. Just trying to get ready to prep a recruited player their Sr year won’t be going as planned and might involve very limited or no play time, based on their ability to handle pain.
Based on the pain reported and the sport played, I would guess that pain is going to be a major issue. If it were me, I would try some structured PT. He might be able to keep it under control and be able to perform.
Like you said, the MRI with contrast will tell a lot. If it is a huge labral tear, it makes it very unlikely that he would be able to play.
Hello! I am 12 weeks Post-OP on this day today, and have some impingement at the very upper limits of shoulder flexion, (parallel with head), almost feels in the AC joint, right on top of shoulder.
Also, along the inferior border through the mid-trap I have extreme tightness around the scapula, which sometimes is so tight it almost burns and keeps me awake for a short amount of time. Myofascial release feels great during and I can feel TONS of knots, but shortly after it hurts even MORE!
Also just behind the arm, along the lateral border of the scap, it’s pretty dang tender to even poke a little bit.
I’m wondering what can be done to help correct these problems. I had a massage 2 weeks ago and I felt GREAT for about 2 days after, but then it came back almost immediately (the scapular tightness/knots)
Thanks!
Working the scapular muscles in a shortened position (middle traps, lower traps) might be a good idea, particularly if your shoulder blade is abducted out to the side. Have you tried k-tape? You might be able to have the shoulder blade taped closer to your spine. Some people respond very well to that.
I haven’t tried tape, but I do have some on hand! Is there any diagram/video you could link me to to show me how to tape it? Thanks!
My 16 year old son had a Laubrum repair 8 months ago in August. This was due to a football injury to his right shoulder. He had a Bankart repair. His PT went really well. He seemed to be doing great. However, 2 says ago he attempted to bench 135 pounds. More than he has done since his surgery. He felt and heard a “tear”. It was painful and affected his range of motion temporarily. A coach suggested it could be scar tissue. His range of motion is ok now, but it’s still painful to push his forearm forward while meeting resistance. I think he is afraid his shoulder will pop out again. I am concened about football.
I would get that evaluated by either the PT or the doc. It could be scar tissue, but have someone do some resisted tests to be sure.
Hi everyone,
I had labrum repair on April 12th, still in the sling. I’m a computer engineer and do a lot of sitting and typing. Today, my hand started tingling and acting up. I’m wondering if it’s most likely due to the elbow being in the sling position for so long, and not enough stretching, or too much activity rotating teh shoulder for the keyboard (even slightly), both? But this is new, hasn’t happened the other days. My sugeon said everything went extremely well, and to keep to minimal activity for 3 weeks. He said my tightness and mobility right now are all correct and what he’s been looking for. Thoughts on the tingling?
It could be the sustained flexion at the elbow from wearing the sling, or perhaps from a forward position of the shoulder. I would ask the doc if can spend more time out of the sling to see if this has a positive effect.
I had labral repair with bicep tenodesis, I was kept immobilized in my sling for 7 weeks per my surgeon before starting physical therapy, I have just hit the 15 week mark post op, and even though I have started the resistance band training, I am still having quite a bit of discomfort. I am a hair dresser and returned to work this week, even doing 1 hair cut a day is killing my shoulder, leaving it burning for hours on end and just uncomfortable. I am unsure if this is normal or what to expect. I was wondering if this is normal or what my realistic expectations should be. Thank you.
Hi, I had a severe dislocation a few years ago, and been dealing with constant dislocations ever since. I finally had slap/bankart repair surgery 8 days ago, and my recovery has been strangly expedient. Im not even supposed to have my sling off yet, but I have no resting pain, and can already move my arm and shoulder pretty well with little to no pain(except external rotation, cant do that yet. But I can carry things, touch my head, touch my opposite shoulder, and hand walk my arm up the wall all the way to almost fully oveehead, with no pain, only some tightness in the front delt area. I got six anchors put in arthroscopically. This seems like an unusually fast rate of recovery, I know I’m not supposed to be moving like this yet, but it seems so easy and Im getting more ROM everyday. Should I be doing this? Im being very careful but It just seems like if it doesnt hurt I should be ok to be doing light therapy like I have been. So am I just lucky? Or am I possibly doing a bad thing for my shoulder recovery? Thanks
You are lucky. I wouldn’t push past the protocol despite how everything is doing. No resistance exercise until you have the okay from the surgeon. Don’t mess this up. (I am a buzzkill, I know.)
The risk is not necessarily popping anchors at this point, it is more developing tendonitis because your shoulder is weak. Bah humbug.
Hi,
I had labrum repair surgery about 3 years ago after dislocating my shoulder due to a falling 5-6 feet onto rock (landed in a ‘superman’ sort of position, that is to say nearly parallel to the ground with my outstretched arms rotated to a position where my palms were facing upwards). It took several months and exactly 13 more dislocation episodes due to severe instability before I was able to get my surgery.
In any case, this winter I fell several times almost directly onto said shoulder, but the pain passed quickly. Now over the past several weeks the dull, intermittent pain in my shoulder has gradually changed to a very intense piercing pain in that area any time the arm is raised above shoulder level. Is it likely that some additional damage to the joint was slowly aggravated by repetitive movements to now cause this severe pain? Likewise, could the injury be in the form of my PCP’s suspicion of ‘micro-tears’ in the labrum and is this type of injury treatable by surgery? I don’t particularly fancy becoming a chronic pain patient at my age (late 20s) but the pain has greatly impaired my day to day function, so any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
[I’ve already scheduled a contrast MRI in the near future but I have no idea what to expect and how to manage it while I wait for the MRI and potentially another round of surgery]
You very well may have damaged the labrum or the rotator cuff with those falls. I suggest that you stop whatever sport it is that I am assuming that you are doing that is causing you to fall. Having another surgery ultimately may help, but if you are falling on to the shoulder there is really not much that anyone can do about that. Otherwise, I would keep the activity at a low level.
Dan,
I’m 12 weeks post-op, and everything has been going well and I have been diligent with my PT and home exercises. Two days ago, for the first time, my shoulder made a squeaking noise on an exercise that involved reaching overhead, along with just a slight vibration. There wasn’t any pain associated with it, just a new and slightly offputting sensation. I’ve since had this sensation a few times, all on overhead exercises (and never with any pain associated).
All other exercises are fine and there has been no loss of strength or range of motion. What on earth could this sound be??
Rotator cuff tendons gliding over the boney structures can make this sound. It should slowly ebb down as your rotator cuff and scapular muscles get stronger.
Hey Dan, I had a major fall January 9, it was a snow day at work, I’m a carpenter by trade, as I was coming down a ladder I lost my footing and slipped, I grabbed onto a 9′ wall to stop my fall, the sound was like that of a chicken leg being ripped from the body of the chicken, I thought I tore my jacket! Have you ever herd of this happening and what am looking at? The surgeon said it’s a labral tear and I recently had sergery on it, any idea how long I’ll be off work, and do you honestly think I’ll be 100% recovered? I know everyone is different though
Ouch. Given the physical nature of your work, I would guess that you will be off for at least three months. If you are under the age of 30, the outcomes for this surgery tend to be very good. There is no reason to think that you won’t get back enough to be fully functional at work, but it will take up to a year to get the full benefit.
My 19 year old son is a college soccer player. In Feb 2016 he had a 270 degree labral tear (from 7:30-4:30 position) repaired with seven anchors after falling on it during a game. He went through proper rehab and recovered well. In Sept 2016 he flipped over a player and fell hard on his shoulder during a game. The team trainer iced it and had him avoid soccer for a few days, and then it felt good once he returned to play. Yesterday he fell over a soccer ball and landed on his shoulder again. He says he felt like it might have dislocated but is not sure. He immediately iced and rested it. Today the range of motion is good and there is no apparent swelling. My son says the only discomfort is when he pulls his shoulder way back it hurts badly. We are wondering if the discomfort is just due to scar tissue or if he has possibly re-injured his labrum.
There is a slight possibility of a re-injury here, I would have it checked out. The more likely explanation is just soft tissue trauma from the falls.
Hi,
I was rear ended and tore my labrum and also had bicep tendonesis, I was kept immobilized in my sling for 7 weeks per my surgeons instructions, I am in week 16 post surgery, and feeling defeated with my progress, I am a hair dresser and I honestly don’t feel like my shoulder will ever be the same.
My son had bankart repair in nov. his recovery was awesome. Last week he was reaching to catch a ball as dislocated the same shoulder no contact just reaching. Then it happened again 2 days later when putting his shirt on. Dr thinks he tore his labrum again. How is this possible with no contact?
That stinks. If the shoulder is dislocating this means that the surgery did not accomplish the goal of increased stability. I would think that something else might be in order somewhere down the line, such as a capsular shrinkage / stabilization. There is also another procedure that is done now where part of the acromion is moved anteriorly to provide a direct block to anterior instability.
Hi Dan , I had the bankart surgery on friday the 28th of april. A week after, Getting out of the shower, I used the wrong arm to put the wet ( heavier) towell on the hook. For a second , i felt like the shoulder was going to dislocate. Since then, the same feeling happened while sneezing. My surgeon told me that he doubted that something went wrong, to wait after 2-3 weeks of physio and see then. I’m still worried and it is hard on my mood. I still have pain in my shoulder and tension in my biceps. If I had broke something while i put the towel on the hook, would the pain be heavy ? Right now it is around 2/10 … 10 being maximal
Pain. Thank you
I highly doubt that placing a wet towel on a rack would dislodge anything. The more likely explanation is that you pulled your rotator cuff tendons a bit (some people have used your description to describe rotator cuff strain). You are going to have an up-tick in the pain for a while, that is to be expected. Don’t freak out over this.
Feels good to read that. Have a great day !
Dan,
I am curious at 9 weeks post-op if flexion PROM is to ~105 and ER is barely beyond neutral should I be concerned? I may have pushed ROM too hard at week 6-8 and only slight gains are being made. I am only focusing on PROM and AAROM at this time, also some scapular PNF/ strengthening.
I contacted the surgeon as well but, alas, very rural healthcare has me feeling alone on an island!
I am a newly practicing PT and have not treated a SLAP repair before. Since I have no nearby clinicians that are experiences with shoulder rehab as resources in my clinic I hoped you could give me your input! Thank you very much.
I would give it a week or so to let the shoulder calm down, then only light stretching afterwards. There is the possibility that the patient is developing adhesive capsulitis. That happens fairly often after shoulder surgeries. In either case, less is more in my opinion. Maybe you can prescribe a pulley for the patient to do some controlled PROM at home lightly as well. I have also found that opening up the thoracic spine and the rib cage (mobilization) tends to help.
I had slap tear surgery almost a year ago, and Bone spur shaved, I went back to work after 5 weeks no restrictions, very physical work, I have a burning in the top of my shoulder when I over work it, and when I walk sometimes it feels like it’s loose sounds strange but that’s the only way I can describe it, I tell the surgeon but he BV doesn’t really say anything, any ideas
Hmmmmm, that sounds like you might be having a little bit of rubbing of the rotator cuff tendons into the shelf above them. If the scapular muscles and / or rotator cuff muscles are even a little bit weak it might cause that. I don’t think that this is a huge problem, but it may benefit you to have a good PT look at the strength of everything and make some specific strengthening recommendations.
I had surgery to repair a torn labrum, torn rotator cuff and some shaving of my clavicle. This was on 0Ct. 20 2016, and I did the post op PT from Dec-Mar. I was on the fast track to return to work asap but after being allowed “unrestricted activity” on Mar 19 I fear I have done something to it as the discomfort has gotten greater and now turns to a pain. I feel discomfort on both the front & rear of shoulder, also goes down my arm at times to elbow.
I would have the doc look at it. It doesn’t necessarily sound like a tear, my guess is that the abruptness of “unrestricted activity” at work may have strained things a bit.
Hey Dan,
My maiden name was Baumstark. We must be related somehow!
Anyway, I had labrum repair surgery on April 18, 2017. I have 3 anterior anchors and one posterior. Also some impingement repair. Am doing passive ROM exercises only. I start PT next week to work on anterior plane motions. When dressing yesterday I inadvertently moved my bent elbow posterior of the plane by a couple of inches and may have pulled or pushed a bit to get out of a strap. I felt a momentary sharp pain, but after a few pendulum exercises it let up. It came back for a bit when my arm was in the sling and I leaned forward to pick something up. No more sharp pains but maybe a bit more achiness. Any possibility that I could have popped an anchor?
Thanks so much.
Highly unlikely, I think that you just strained things a bit. The pain would be much more marked than what you are describing.
Go Baumstarks! There aren’t many of us around (on the east coast at least).
Thanks, Dan, for setting my mind at ease! Not many Baumstarks on the west coast either. My dad’s nephew, Victor Baumstark, lived in Florida though.
Have a good day!
Mary
Hi,
36 year old male, had subacromial decompression and biceps tenodesis of left shoulder (unsure if it was done with hardware or not) on May 2nd. 1st PT session was 1 week later started with PROM excluding any biceps work. My biggest pain factor seems to be in my elbow,forearm, and wrist. A persistent burning ache that makes sleeping in the sling nearly impossible. Is this just par for the course due to the sling? What sort of propping or positioning might help. I need my sleep to heal. Thanks.
The sustained flexion at the elbow might be firing that up. I would ask the doc if it would be okay to lose the sling while sleeping. You should be okay with the pillow positioning as shown in the blog article that we have on the topic (pillow under the elbow and arm).
Hey Dan! In your experience, are Cortisone injections effective for reducing inflammation and enabling mobility in post op frozen shoulders? Or does introducing a needle into the sensitive area cause the shoulder to freak out and become more inflamed? Thanks!
(Please realize that I am not the pharmaceutical expert.)
Cortisone does tend to kill inflammation and pain if it is injected correctly. I would say that the injection might be effective to get rid of the pain associated with the early (phase 1) portion of a frozen shoulder. If you are in a huge amount of pain this may be an option to “get you over the hump”.
Hi Dan,
26 year old female redhead here. I had a slap tear occur due to a congenital defect – clavicle was too thick and cutting into the labrum. I had surgery in 2012 to repair the tear, remove the resulting cyst, and shave off the end of the clavicle. PT occurred 3 days post-op and ended 4 months later with full ROM but still occasional pain and fatigue.
5 years later and I still have fatigue if used normally. The pain has never gone away however. On average it is between a 2-3, but then there are periods of days at 7-8: mostly during the night when (trying to) sleeping, more often at work when using a cash register and touch screen (reaching forward at a level to slightly higher than shoulder height).
I do take an NSAID daily, but that is the only chemical aid I use. I can’t have steroid shots due to type 1 diabetes.
If it is simply sounding like inflammation and irritation, are there excersizes to help ease the frequency of discomfort? Does it possibly sound like a bigger underlying problem?
I am grateful for any advice. I haven’t seen the orthopedic since my 6-week post-op check up.
Thanks!
Given the chronic nature of this Liz I would have an assessment done by an experienced physical therapist. There is a connectivity between the shoulder blade, the shoulder itself, and the clavicle. If your strength is off in the shoulder blade it can have a pronounced effect on the rest of the system. It sounds like that is a possibility. Scapular exercises over an exercise ball come to mind, but I would have to see your alignment to give you a definitive recommendation.
I would really make an effort to avoid sleeping on that side in the mean time.
Dan,
First off, I appreciate all the feedback you give. I had labrum surgery about 7 weeks ago to repair a 12 to 5 posterior tear. ROM and strength in PT have been going great. In the past week I’ve fallen twice, one of them was with my arm extended but it wasn’t a big fall. I didn’t feel any pain immediately after I fell or even after, I am just concerned with damaging what was done in the procedure.
Ugh. You are probably in the clear in terms of anchor healing, but falls at the very least are going to inflame the joint and slow down the progress. I would at least touch base with the doc and let him or her know what happened.
50 yrs old. Had rotator cuff and labrum surgery march 1st /2017 I have a 5 lb weight restriction and my pt had me using 10 lbs and I couldn’t sleep because of pain. Pt seems to be aggravating my neck very badly ,neck gets stiff and painful. Pt will not address neck at all.
I would maybe find another PT. 10 pounds at 10 weeks is a bit lofty in my opinion, but it does depend on the doctor’s protocol.
Hi Dan,
I had a SLAP repair and partial rotator cuff repair on 3/24/17 – so I’m closing in on 8 weeks post op. I feel like I am getting differing opinions on how hard to push PT. I go to a PT twice a week and then do home exercises in between. But I am having a hard time wrapping my arms around (pun intended!) how hard to push in PT. Should it be painful? Do I push past the point of pain – how much is too much? On the one hand it seems to make sense to push myself, on the other, it seems like it could be doing further damage. When the PT was manually manipulating and stretching my arm it hurt so bad and he acted like that was normal. Is that normal? I tell them it’s sore and hurts and they say it should hurt like “stretching” pain. I wish they could feel my pain and tell me if it’s normal. I can take the pain all day long if I know it’s a normal amount of pain and I’m on track……blah blah blah.. I’m rambling. Just tell me it’s all going to be okay again! :) Thanks.
Different PT’s have different philosophies (unfortunately). I do not put people into extreme pain with shoulder ranging. I would say mild to moderate discomfort is as far as I go. Sharp pain in my opinion might lead to an increase in inflammation. In most cases, if you keep it moderate to mild, the shoulder will improve (but you need to be consistent). How about a pain scale! if 10 out of 10 is take me to the hospital or having your arm ripped out of the socket, I don’t really go past a 6.
Thank you! I would say I was at about a 6 based on your pain scale description – so hopefully I”m on track for recovery. It’s just discouraging to have my arm feel worse than it did before surgery – makes me feel like it’s never going to be the same again. But I will stay the course. :) Thanks for your thoughts!
Hey Dr. Baumstark,
I’m four months post-surgery for a labral tear in my right shoulder. I was worried that I retore my labrum in the past few months, but an MRI I got a month back showed that it was healing nicely.
Since then, I’ve been following PT diligently. Rehabbing at home and at PT about four days a week, but something concerns me: This week, when doing standing windmill exercises, I’ve been hearing a painless crack in my shoulder. This didn’t happen when I did them last week. It also happened when I did push-ups.
Should I be concerned and consult my doctor? Either way, let me know what you think! Thanks.
If the cracks do not hurt, I generally am not very concerned about it. There are many tendons that cross the shoulder joint, so even a small weakness can provoke mechanics that can cause a bit of cracking and grinding. I would expect the cracking to eventually subside as your scapular and rotator cuff strength improve.
What can I do prior to SLAP tear surgery to prepare and have a greater chance for optimal results? Should I strengthen other muscles? I’m 57 yrs old and not in prime physical condition any more.
In my opinion, the stronger and more fit you are prior to the surgery, the easier it is to recover. Even doing some cardio training (stationary bicycle etc.) if tolerated will probably help. In terms of strength training, make sure that you are not going in to sharp pain with any of the exercises.
Hey guys.
I have had a labrum repair done on the 10th of January this year. So about 4 and a half months post op. my surgeon is usually rushed when i go in to talk to him and don’t really get any of my questions asked/ closure from him. Now at this stage is there meant to be any pain at all? i have tried sleeping on it for hte first time in over a year this past week and still have trouble with not being comfortable and some slight pain. throughout a day there will almost be no pain except for small variances with some movements or contractions which i cannot replicate consciously. also If i do any quick-ish movements of the joint there is discomfort and slight pain also. For instance i was going for a run the other day and tried to pick up the pace and tried to sprint for 10m or so. in which there was an awkward feeling accompanied by pain. Also i tried to throw a ball to my dog to test it out (not peg the ball was a soft over arm throw) but have difficulties doing a natural throwing movement (also accompanied by pain) i’m not sure if its actual restrictions or subconsciously protecting myself. anoywho after being 4 and a half months post op my surgeon basically discharged me without me asking all my questions. sometimes i feel the awkwardness is the same sort of feeling i had prior to surgery but i cannot fully tell/ remember exactly how it felt now. if i let my arm hang really loose which is can only do consciously there does feel like there is some movement which is also accompanied by pain. i am not sure if this is a normal thing of the healing process or just getting use to the new joint or whatever but i am totally overthinking every possible situation and am dreading having a failed repair and doing it all over.
thank you in advance.
You probably still have a ways to go in terms of full recovery. Most people will not feel 100% until almost a year post-op. It is totally normal for you to still be feeling some discomfort with selected motions at this point. I would stick with doing some strengthening every week for the rotator cuff and scapular muscles. If you need guidance, get a PT eval and get a list of exercises. You are getting there!
I had Labrum tear surgery, debridement, bicep tendonesis 7 months ago. 10/10/16. I was not able to do constant PT due to insurance loss. Couple of questions. I have noticed marked improvement since surgery but not really noticed any improvement to where I was pre-surgery.
For example. Previous to surgery I would in engage in a sport activity. Take surfing for example. Wasn’t so bad while enduring the exercise, but really the next day was where I would have lost and lots of pain. Should this be normal at this point or should I have seen improvement by now?
I am also willing to kick up PT at this point, as I now have insurance again. Would this be beneficial or do I blow it so to speak by not having PT post operation?
Should I expect to not really see a change in my shoulder until the 9 month to the 1 year mark? Any chance of re-damaging my shoulder by just doing light activities?
Thanks,
Aaron
Some people really don’t see full improvement until one year out from surgery. I do think that it would at least be worth your while to have the shoulder evaluated by a PT at this point to get the focused strengthening on track.
Light activity at this point should be safe as long as it is not sharply painful.
Hi,
I had a 360 slap tear to my dominant (right) shoulder 10 months ago, and had surgery to repair 9 mo. ago. I went to PT for the first 4 mo. and now do independent stretching, etc. The issue I am having is that I still get extreme pain in what I believe is the glenohumeral joint area. I am back to weights, but taking it easy and find a significant amount of soreness really in that general area more than anywhere else. Is this normal this far out, and what do you recommend I do to help rid the pain?
a 360 tear is a big deal, I would expect the recovery time for that to be on the long side (a year or more). In your case it is also probably vitally important that your rotator cuff and scapular mechanics are as ideal as possible. I would have a fresh set of eyes look at your alignment to see what can be improved strength wise.
I am 19 weeks post Labral tear and bicep tenodesis. My surgeon & PT were very cautious with my recovery being that my shoulder is “loosely jointed” to begin with, I didn’t start physical therapy until week 7, and had most movement back by week 13, I have been back to work for 3 weeks, and for the past two days I have noticed what feels like my shoulder becomes unstable for a split second, and extreme swelling in my trap muscle area (which is what happened prior to surgery) and am concerned that the surgery wasn’t a success. Is this normal?
The swelling thing in the upper trap area is not common. I am wondering if it is actually over-use of your upper trap with arm motions, which is a movement dysfunction. I would have the PT watch you lifting your arms over head. If the surgical shoulder elevates excessively, then there are some specific training exercises that you should be doing to change that movement pattern.
If it is actual swelling that migrates into your upper traps, I would have the doc check that out.
Hi, Dan. I had a labral repair (3 tears) in my left shoulder 01/10/17. I am left-handed, for what it’s worth. Surgery went well, therapy went well, and I was recently discharged. I have good ROM.
However, for the past 1.5 months, I continue to have intense pain in my traps and outer shoulder blades. It is only on my left side. PT diagnosed it as overworked muscles and gave me exercises to strengthen lats. I use a red Theraband and 3-lb dumbbells, otherwise, nothing heavier. I use my door pulley daily (or as much as I can daily.) I’ve also had dry needling, which provides temporary relief. Unfortunately, the pain always returns. Lately, it seems to worsen in that it can start from early on in the day, whereas before it seemed to only come on in the afternoon. It can be brought on after sitting for extended periods or not. There doesn’t seem to be great patterns with it. My only relief is to lay down for extended periods. Is this normal? What do you suggest? I did start seeing a chiro as my PT suggested that my pain was connected to my cervical and thoracic spine. However, out of frustration from pain, I called my Dr to get his opinion. He suggested laying off of Personal Training (I only just started and still only using bands) for a week and using ice/heat and to follow up by the end of the week.
Just wondering your thoughts. I am feeling frustrated, to say the least.
Thank you for your time,
Sarah
I should add that my Dr. also recommended getting a deep tissue massage. I’ve been getting a massage every 2-4 weeks, and it always feels like it’s helped though the pain returns. I had a deep tissue massage Saturday and the same happened.
I would have the ergonomic situation checked out at work. I have the feeling that your repetitive actions at a keyboard or computer are too much for the shoulder girdle. If you are reaching too far for the keyboard (for example) it can cause a huge amount of strain to that area.
Hello, Dan! Thank you for this article, reading it gives me great comfort after my labral tear surgery (posterior shoulder instability, with front instability as well). I had the surgery three weeks ago, I’ve been in a shoulder sling with a wedge between the stomach and arm since then. I started with physical therapy one week after the surgery, moving the arm 45 degrees up using the other arm to pull it up and moving the arm 45 degrees laterally on a table using the other arm. The week after that my PT introduced two other exercises, raising the arm 45 degrees vertically without the help of the other arm and laying on my back raising my arm laterally 45 degrees without using the other arm. The exercises are manageable with slight discomfort and pain whilst doing them. However, I can’t stop thinking that we’re moving forward to aggressively which might only further injure myself. This scares me greatly as I’ve had this injury for 4 years, getting help from PTs which I thought were helping me but was in fact only making it worse.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
The fail-safe method in my opinion is to get a written protocol from the MD. Most labral protocols do not really start any active lifting of the arm until at least weeks 6-8. It does sound like the active ranges are being introduced a bit early with you, but as I said this does depend on what the doctor’s protocol is.
Hello, Dan, thank you for the reply! I will be meeting my PT on thursday and I’ll be getting my papers from the MD back with the information about the rehabiliation after the surgery, so I’ll be able to give you the full rundown of what the MD has prescribed. I have one question that has been nagging me – how much pain is to be expected in general during the recovery phase? For example, today I had to commute to work and work for about 8 hours (office work, mostly stationary) and then commute back and I’ve had this slight discomfort (mild pain) in my frontal shoulder where the frontal labral surgery was (right on the still healing slight opening), is this normal? What I’m trying to ask is what level of pain is normal and when should I start to worry?
This may sound stupid but I think the pain my be coming from a bandaid I had on there which has irritated the skin and made a small rash. I might be mistaking this pain for real pain as truthfully I can’t currently discern any “real” pain from inside my shoulder. My father said when a wound/after surgery starts to itch it’s a sign that it’s getting better, is there any truth to that statement?
Sorry for the multiple questions and confusing text.
Best regards,
Karan
Hey, I had labrum repair surgery on January 20th, I have started back in the gym a couple of weeks back and I recently had a little soreness in my rear and middle deltoid area.. should I be alarmed about this? Thank you sir
I would ease in to the weight routine very gradually. At four and a half months you probably still have some weakness in the rotator cuff and scapula. This needs to be idealized gradually. Heavy weights are probably going to cause quite a bit of soreness. Slow and steady, and allow for adequate recovery between workouts.
Dr. Baumstark — Are there any recovery aids that you would recommend or willing to comment on?
Laser therapy, PRP, Stem Cells, Supplements, etc.?
Is the labrum at risk during rehab? Is rehab just about pain management without risk to the labrum?
Thank you
Mark
There really is not much in terms of meta-data, evidence based research that supports usage of any of the modalities that you mention. I have heard of many people who anecdotally praise PRP and stem cell injections.
The labrum is at most risk during the first six weeks of rehab. If you are too aggressive during this window it is indeed possible to damage an anchor or suture. After that window the risk generally shifts more to tendon irritation from trying to strengthen to quickly.
Hello, Dan.
I read your comment above in which you said “The labrum is at most risk during the first six weeks of rehab. If you are too aggressive during this window it is indeed possible to damage an anchor or suture. After that window the risk generally shifts more to tendon irritation from trying to strengthen to quickly.”
I have worked the last three days in which i regrettably used my injured hand a little by typing on the keyboard and shifting papers, and by doing so have probably rotated the operated shoulder. I went to the PT and felt pain when doing the exercises I had no issue with last week resulting in shifting back to less active exercises. My PT said the slight pain while doing the exercises, the pain which I did not have before straining my arm at work, is a sign of overstraining my arm.
How susceptible to damage, enough to make it a failed operation, is the labrum after surgery?
I would say “not that susceptible” based on your reported activities. You might irritate the soft tissue a bit, but I highly doubt that you pulled an anchor loose from typing and shifting papers.
Would you recommend ceasing rehabilitation exercises for a couple of days when the area is sore (irritated soft tissue)? I currently feel slight pain and discomfort even while (and after) doing the basic exercises (assisted 45 degree vertical and assisted 45 degree horizontal).
Hello, Dan.
I was in an accident a year ago that involved me landing on my face and shoulder. The doctor had me get an MRA and told me I only frayed my labrum a little and should be fine because I am still young. I went to PT for 8 months and nothing really got better. It wasn’t unbearable pain so I was released. However,the popping iin my shoulder has gotten a lot worse and while moving a tandem of gravel with a shovel my shoulder got even worse. It’s been a month since then and it’s become quite painful. The doctors say I’ll be fine because I’m 18 and I shouldn’t be having shoulder surgery at this age. What to recommend?
-Roberto Martinez
I would get a second opinion about this.
I just had mine repairs by below. Had the same symptoms and visited 4 different physicians. No one wanted in on it. She’s really good look her up n best of luck.
Julianne Muñoz, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics
Team Physician – U of Miami Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
Team Physician – Miami Marlins
Division of Sports Medicine
University of Miami Hospital
Main: 305-689-5500
Direct: 305-689-3470
Fax: 305-689-5774
sas499@miami.edu
My son underwent debridement for labral fraying with sutures on 5/3/17. He’s a pitcher and has just started throwing again. He has great motion and flexibility. He has no pain with weight lifting but has a lot of pain with throwing. He’s discouraged and feels like he’ll never pitch the same again. Is this pain normal? I keep telling him to keep working out and throwing to get his shoulder moving again. Am I wrong for telling him this? What should he do to help with this problem?
It is probably going to take several more months of strengthening the shoulder to get the optimal result. I would have him work with a PT who specializes in strength and conditioning, at least for a few sessions, to make sure that he is doing the correct exercises at the correct times.
I’m 18 and I just had my shoulder repaired. I had an awesome doctor who realized my predicament. I couldn’t do anything without my arm dislocating and my larbrum was almost completely torn all the way through. Today is two weeks after surgery for me. Pain is annoying but if you take pain killers it’s not bad at all.
Get a second opinion
Hi Doc,
Had a full labral repair 4 days ago and also had the rotator cuff “cleaned up”. My doc advised me to start physical therapy the day after surgery. I have now done 3 days of physical therapy since my surgery 4 days ago. My PT office was very surprised I was starting physical therapy so soon. Is this normal? Also it’s been 4 days but the pain is still pretty intense. How long does it usually take to be out of the constant pain? Thanks
Yes, this is strange that you are starting PT so soon. The pain intensity and timeframes are highly variable. Some people are in some degree of pain for months while others improve rather quickly. I would keep the exercises very simple and to a minimum early on.
How is ur pain now? Its been 3 weeks snd im still in pain
I had mine on August 1st and didn’t start PT for 2 weeks. My pain seems to be getting worse though…much more in the upper arm.
Hey there, Doctor.
I’m five months out of surgery now, and I’ve just started doing push-ups as per my doctor and physical therapists’ recommendation. I’ve experienced increased soreness and cracking post-workout. Is this normal? Thanks!
How can you tell if you have damaged an anchor or suture within 4-6 weeks of surgery?
The definitive method is MRI, but clinically speaking it usually is disproportionate pain at all times.
I’m 2 weeks nearly 3 out from grade 2 slap repair. I fell out of bed and landed sharply on my shoulder. Am worried I damaged the repair as pain is throbbing.
I would see the doc about that.
12 weeks post minor posterior repair and I’m unable to do O’Briens test with even faint pressure without causing severe pain.
It feels like when I tore it although the only trauma Ive had was 11 weeks post op when a heavy car door swung back on my repaired arm. I can’t get another MRI as I’m between jobs with no insurance but does that sound torn or is Obriens usually going to elicit pain on a recently repaired posterior labrum?
I don’t think that this is necessarily because you re-tore something Bubba. You really need to have optimal strength in the rotator cuff and scapular muscles in order to hold that position, and I highly doubt that you have that as of yet.
If you were testing positive eight months post-op that might be a bit more of an accurate reflection of what is going on. In the mean time, I would not keep testing it in that fashion, because you are stressing out already weak muscles and maybe increasing the inflammation.
Hello, commenting for the second or third time now, been about a month or two since I last commented!
About 4.5 months post-OP left arm anteriorly (SLAP) with 4 anchors and I’m able to do a lot of things again. I can manage 6-7 push-ups now (50-60 in one set prior to surgery) have probably ~95% of my full ROM back, external rotation being about the only thing I can’t fully manage.
My only problem still lasting is my pec tendon (pretty sore to palpate with some relatively highish pressure, has been for months), and my shoulder pops/clicks doing a lot of different things such as 20 lb db presses at the very bottom of the eccentric touching my chest, especially right as I begin the concentric (no pain, just awkward popping) or something even picking stuff up off a table and flexing at the shoulder will cause it to pop. It is very anteriorly – seemingly the bicipita groove/surgical neck area.
I brought it up on my last checkup about 1.5 months ago and my doc said it was likely the biciptal groove and will go away with time/pec stretching (which I’ve been doing a ton of) and so far no improvement. Wondering if you have any insight? Thanks a ton!
Just wanted to add – the doc said not to worry about tendinitis because I know that could be an issue since I’m working it, but he said if I stick relatively light and it’s painfree (it is,) and only perform these exercises 1-2x a week, tendinitis probably won’t be an issue.
I’ve noticed my ROM has increased through working with these exercises, as have the weights I can use, but the popping/snapping sensation remains, even as the exercises/weights get easier to perform
Hello,
I am 8 weeks post op for a SLAP 2 repair. 4 weeks immobile, now 4 weeks out having had 4 PT sessions and daily exercises.
whilst my up and down movement is generally ok and near normal ROM I have limited movement arm out to the side and rotation. My arm out to the side is blocking at about 90 degrees (normal is 140 I believe?)and rotation (forearm turns, arms behind back) are practicaly non existent.
PT has said the should is not able to ‘drop’ and he is unsure if this was a pre surgery problem or partial frozen shoulder.
I a to carry on with assisted and gentle passive exercises. nowhere near any resistance training.
is this normal?, is there anything I should do to get past this ‘block’ I am experiencing?
many thanks
I would carry on with the exercises. It is possible that your shoulder is in the early phase of freezing, but that is usually accompanied by disproportionate pain with motions.
It is also worth noting that when the rotator cuff is weak it can manifest in a similar fashion to what you are describing. My guess is once you are cleared for rotator cuff strengthening this will slowly abate.
many thanks. next PT in 2 weeks so will check progression then. as you say, a very frustrating recovery.
I tore my labrum but didn’t require surgery….
Dr. after MRI said 4-6 physio… it’s been 6 weeks now, I could and still can do most weight lifting exercises no pain, no limited range, and no limitations except for the odd movement out front.. It took about 5 weeks and I finally passed the SLAP test…. Physio said I could start throwing a baseball again, 100ft max, I did and now I have constant dull pain in my shoulder… but no other issues…. what gives??? Any assistance or guidance would be appreciated…
I can empathize with you here. I too have an active labral tear in my shoulder. I have rehabbed my shoulder to the point that I can do my entire weight routine without issue. What I do find that “fires it up” are awkward positions and high velocity whipping motions. I cannot throw a ball fast, and I have a difficult time reaching for things (like reaching under the sink to turn off a valve that is hard to get to).
If you simply must throw and are consistently getting this pain despite all conservative measures, you have two options. Stop throwing, or have surgery. If you have surgery it will probably take up to a year to get back some throwing form. I know that this is a buzz kill, but a torn labrum can get irritated with fast motions given the innate lack of stability in the shoulder.
I tore my labrum but didn’t require surgery….
Dr. after MRI said 4-6 physio… it’s been 6 weeks now, I could and still can do most weight lifting exercises no pain, no limited range, and no limitations except for the odd movement out front.. It took about 5 weeks and I finally passed the SLAP test…. Physio said I could start throwing a baseball again, 100ft max, I did and now I have constant dull pain in my shoulder… but no other issues…. what gives??? Any assistance or guidance would be appreciated…
Thank you….. that sums it up to a “t”…
But what’s confusing is the strength and weight training I can do for a full shoulder workout is more than I have ever done, but yet the labrum remains sensitive and not fully healing… is here anything “special” I can do or supplements to take to assist or speed up that specific locational repair/healing process??
Or… what type of timeline can I expect for a recovery without surgery? Since I tried throwing and have the “burn” I shut it down immediately… if I tried to throw again but shorter distance, would that assist in strengthening and recovery or make the situation worse?
Hi Dan-
About 4 months post shoulder surgery with 3 anchors 11 to 3 (no bicep). I have been going to PT twice a week and making steady progress. As motion has increased, I started getting some popping in the rear of my shoulder blade. This was not very alarming since it was painless. However, in the last 3 weeks I have started getting some multiple cracks at a time on top of my shoulder by the ac joint. This seemed to line up with my pt having me do the creeper stretch as my doctor felt I was a little stiff. My PT feels it is just my ac joint cracking and says it is normal. I trust my PT, but just wanted get your thoughts. It is not painful, but very noisy and frequent. Is this normal at this stage in the game? I want to make sure I didn’t re-injure! Thanks for your help!
If it does not hurt it is typically not much of a concern. The AC joint was probably quite immobile for a good amount of time after the surgery. Now that you are bringing the arm into more motion the AC joint is probably sticky. I would expect that to slowly go away.
My son had two anchors put in 9 months ago. He got the “all clear” to participate in football, which he started last week. When he blocks with his hands or shoulder, he still gets a stinger or arm numbness for 2-3 minutes, with tightness and soreness. However, it doesn’t pop out anymore which is good news. My questions are: 1.) is this normal at this point of recovery, 2.) will this resolve itself, and 3.) can a cortisone shot help? Thank you!
It is good that the shoulder now appears stable, but the stinger is not normal and it concerns me. The jarring motion of blocking is irritating the neural structures, the question is where along the chain he is irritating them. It might resolve with time and increased strength in the shoulder but I really can’t tell you if it will. I do not think that a cortisone shot is advisable in this case. The surgeon definitely needs to know about this.