From personal experience I can attest that labral tears can hurt quite a bit. What we will be discussing today in this blog post are a few ways to differentiate between shoulder labral tear pain and pain associated with other shoulder problems.
For the sake of brevity, we have already described the basic anatomy of the shoulder labrum in another blog post (There is also a great illustration included.).
Here are some things that I have noticed from personal experience in regard to labral tears.
1. Placing my hands on my hips with the thumbs pointed backwards hurts on the side of the labral pathology. There is an orthopedic test that starts with the patient in this position and involves placing a resisting pressure on the back side of the arm. I am pretty sure that I would scream if asked to do this.
2. I can actually lift my arm overhead without pain. With a rotator cuff impingement, this is typically not the case. The rotator cuff tendons tend to make irritating contact with the shelf of the acromion with overhead lifting positions.
3. I have limited tolerance for sleeping on my side. This can be true with rotator cuff impingements and tendonitis as well, but these diagnoses tend to be bothered more by sleeping with the arm overhead. I have a difficult time sleeping on the affected side even when my arm is at my side.
4. Reaching motions that involve loading the arm are at times problematic. I can perform bench presses, lat pull-downs, or a “reverse fly” with weights over an exercise ball as long as I am smooth with my motion.
The other week I tried reaching under my sink to turn a valve off. The reaching motion combined with grabbing the knob caused a sudden wave of pain that made me lose strength in the arm and forced me to let my grip go.
Another incident that comes to mind involved an awkward reach out of my car window to retrieve a parking ticket from a dispenser. I was okay until I had to press the button to have the ticket printed out. Ouch!
5. I have noticed that my end-ranges for both external rotation and internal rotation are somewhat limited due to pain. When lying on my back and resting my arm out to the side, I cannot bring my arm into full rotation positions without significant pain (See photo above for an example of internal rotation). My shoulder can be passively moved into the full position, so it is pain that limits rather than a physical stiffness or restriction. This is a bit different from “adhesive capsulitis,” a.k.a. frozen shoulders, in that the rotational end-ranges are physically stiff.
Read More About Shoulder Issues
• Managing Expectations When Recovering from a Labral Repair
• 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 just had my labrum repaired on 11/11/11. I didn’t have a SLAP tear only the anterior portion of the labrum was torn. I’ve been recovering very quickly but I ran into a little set back that occured during physical therapy that really frustrated me. I was told to grab a theraband with both hands and extend my arms laterally with my arms bent to about 90 degrees. This seemed to really irritate the repair because now, even five days later, I get a sharp pain deep in the joint when I move my arm that I didn’t have before the therapy session. One of the other physical therapists said that I shouldn’t have even done that exercise. My question is, how strong is the repair a week or so after surgery and could I have damaged the repair by doing this exercise? I didn’t push it too much but I definatley irritated something. The last thing I want is to slow down the healing process.
Blake if you didn’t pull on the band very hard or abruptly, you probably just inflammed your shoulder a bit.
Having said that, I do find it a bit curious that you were performing resisted type exercises only one week after surgery. The normal protocol for this type of surgery is passive ranges of motion only for at least three to four weeks after the surgical date. Your surgeon should have written some sort of instructions on the prescription that was given to the therapist. Ask to see the prescription. Your safest bet is to always follow the recommendation of the surgeon.
Dan
I’ll talk to my surgeon soon then. Thanks I appreciate it!
Thank you for your information guys. I certainly need some assistance and direction please…
I had an anterior labral repair and anchoring of the bicep tendon of the right shoulder on March 1st 2012.
Unfortunately i have aggravated the shoulder in my sleep in which I’ve woken with my arm out of the sling on 3 occasions within the first few weeks resulting in intense pain that eventually subsided with analgesia/anti inflam meds and ice. However it has been aggravated with little yet sudden movements at times and a recent fall where my arm swung out while in the sling – thankfully landing on my hand (instinctive response I think!). I’ve had burning pain ever since and was wondering if the hot and cold method was useful to treat this. I plan to see my surgeon shortly before the 6wk mark due to this concern.
Could you please recommend PT exercises specific to my recovery as the surgeon has only provided very conservative exercises which are very limited.
I’m a nurse and my work is very physical as I work predominantly in neuro rehab, so ortho is very new to me.
I’m due to return to work May 1st and I’m feeling VERY far from ready to return to the physical demands of the work, and am very concerned I’ll only result in further injury.
This injury is sports related – not a work issue.
Natasha!
It sounds like you have re-inflammed the joint. Given that your surgery was very recent (3-4 weeks??) I would say that the surgeon’s presciption of conservative exercise is a good one. Ice the heck out of it and keep the exericses to a bare minimum until you see the surgeon.
Did you fall on to the surgical side?? I was somewhat confused by your description of the fall.
Hi Dan,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I’ve maintained the ice 3-4 times a day along with anti-inflam cream and analgesia and anti inflam meds.
I actually landed on my left hand and knee even though the repair was in the right shoulder. Sorry that wasn’t clear.
I was concerned i may have re-inflamed the joint and possibly even torn a little along the labrum or bicep tendon. Now that im on additional analgesia (Tramadol SR), it has taken the edge off a little more. Once it wears off i obviously feel the intense pinch once again. So I’ll maintain this until I see the surgeon next Wednesday.
I thought it was ideal to maintain the same amount of conservative exercises 3-4 times a day following the icing and anti- inflam application to prevent stiffening of the joint. Do you agree?
I would greatly appreciate more advice on the ongoing management from you. I can update you once I have word from the surgeon if that is ok.
I would say typical conservative exercises, i.e. Codman’s pendulums in short ranges only and scapular pinches should be safe enough. 3-4 times a day may even be a bit excessive. Get the “green light” from the doctor before doing much else.
Thanks for your advice Dan. I’ll need to look up the exercises you’re referring to unless you can refer me to a specific link/website that you can recommend for others in the same situation as myself.
I have been following the specific conservative exercise instructions of the PT from the hospital where I had my procedure. Also the surgeon stated to gradually do all things ‘except’ raising my arm above shoulder level and externally rotating the arm – for a period of 2 months, and to support my arm with the other hand when attending to the specific exercises. I’m also to wear a sling periodically throughout the day while not hanging the arm, and to always wear the sling at night… but somehow my arm has escaped the hold of the sling on a few occasions, so I’ve had to adjust the position and firmness of the straps to prevent this which is still a bit of a challenge (while avoiding tightening the strap across the neck for obvious reasons…
I woke this morning again with intense pain in the shoulder after it had moved from the sling. Prior to the surgery, I would always sleep with my arms up and hands tucked under my head, even though it became painful. It has been quite an ingrained habit I think. I think if I had done the same now, I would certainly feel the pinch, so it’s possible I’m raising the arm, but just not all the way up.
Are there are any sling positioning suggestions to keep it in place overnight perhaps..?
I found a lot of peace of mind when reading your article about the natural expectations and the actual experiences within the time frame post surgery.
And just as your article states, I certainly don’t feel like I’ll be ready to return to the physical demands of my job within 2 months, but perhaps I’ll be able to manage a reasonable portion. I guess i will find out more when I see the surgeon next week.
Thanks again for your great advice and material.
Natasha, that sling question while sleeping is a tough one. Some slings come with a circumferential strap that goes around your mid section at the level of the elbow. That might keep you more in place. All that you would need is some type of soft strap to “fasten around you” once you are securely in the sling.
I had a labral tear repaired and tenodesis or reattachment of the bicep tendon 2 weeks ago. At the 1 week follow up visit I was told I didn’t need a sling and to start non-resitive range of motion exercies, Lifting my arm over my head, bringing my arm up behind my back, along with resisitve exercises with a band consisting of a side to side movement of the forearm and front to back motion, just not engaging the bicep. 3 days later I went from virtually no pain in the shoulder to a shap pain and “clicking” with movement. Inflammation or damage to my recently repaired labrum?
Shane:
That seems a bit aggressive, but hey, I didn’t perform your surgery. I always err on the conservative side in terms of rehab with this type of procedure. I would keep the exercises gentle, certainly steer away from anything that may cause sharpness.
Talk to the doc about the sharpness and clicking.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your article and comments to other post op people like me! My surgery was nearly 5 weeks ago now, and I’ve ran into a little snag. I had a posterior and slap tear repaired, and my recovery was going very well. I got my sling off last week and had been feeling little to no pain. The day after I got the sling off (yes, one day lol) I was walking down stair with my bad shoulder on the railing and my foot slipped putting all the weight on my shoulder. It hurt very very bad for about 30 seconds and then subsided. That was nearly a week ago, but since that time I have been SO sore that I can’t sleep at night. I get sharp pains with a few movements, but that’s manageable. The night aches and even sometimes during the day aches are making me want to take pain pills even, which I stopped taking 4 days out of surgery! I’m
Not sure if this achiness is directly because of the fall or no though since I started PT the same day I slipped on the stairs. Also I’m wondering if this is normal since I’m not used to being out of the sling? I told my PT about the pain and we cut back my exercises but no relief yet. I’m wondering if I should be worried! Or at what point should I go see my doctor again, as I’m not scheduled for 3 more weeks! Thanks SO much for any insight :)
Amber
Amber I would get the shoulder checked out again by the MD: that jarring motion that you described is a bit concerning.
Keep the exercises very light in the mean time. I would call the MD and describe to him what happened. He may want to image the shoulder to see what is going on.
There is a good chance however that you just strained the heck out of the soft tissue structures with the stair incident. Lots of ice in the mean time!
Dan
I am going in in a couple of weeks for surgery to correct some shoulder instability. MRI showed no signs of a labral tear; however, relaxing my shoulder muscles even the slightest bit causes the arm to drop out of the socket with very minimal weight in my hand. Pain began several months ago and was quite severe with any type of motion that dealt with arm extension or rotation laterally with the elbow bent at 90 degrees. Ie… Reverse throwing motion. The throwing motion was almost like a mechanical stop along with the pain. With no tear and just some work to tighten the joint what should I expect during my recovery. My doc said that I would be in a sling for 4 weeks. Any thoughts?
The doctor is going to tighten up the capsule, and the short term effect should be a significant loss of range of motion, particularly in rotation. Don’t be frustrated about the loss of range, it is a necessity given the amount of laxity that you have described.
The first month post-operatively is annoying, but the doctor I am sure will provide medication to control the pain. You may sleep more comfortably in a semi-reclined position (such as in a Lazy Boy type chair). You will definitely be restricted in terms of what the doctor and the physical therapist will allow you to do. Gentle passive ranges of motion only, usually without any rotation whatsoever.
Long term, you will be very glad that you had this surgery.
My son had shoulder Labrum surgery last May and was cleared to play baseball in January of this year after a long rehab program which consisted of mainly physical therapy. He started with the weights after he was cleared being careful not to do too much to soon. His shoulder was fine all through Spring baseball with his college team with the exception of a rare pain which occurred on a practice swing a couple of times. The season ended in early May.
Just yesterday, however, in a summer baseball game he experienced significant pain when swinging the bat on two occasions. The pain was not as bad as before he had his surgery but was fairly significant nonetheless. He is also experiencing soreness now and a very loud clicking sound when he lifts his arm up and brings it down. The clicking happens when he brings his arm down.
He has not experienced any trauma to the shoulder yet we are very concerned nonetheless. Have a call into our surgeon at present and are waiting to hear back.
Hi there…
I had surgery again, (the first one was in 2009), to repair my torn Labrum, on the 19th.
I was wondering if someone could give me an extremely honest an realistic answer to how long the pain will be like this…
I have a pretty high threshold for pain, and am a pretty holistic person, with an overall pretty positive outlook on everything, but I find myself really relying on the pain killers. I’m an instructor ( Yoga, Zumba, group fitness etc..) and it’s already driving me nuts that I’m not teaching, and from everything I’ve read thus far, this stage lasts between 4-6 weeks.
I thought I might go back to teaching, just instructing verbally, but I’m not comfortable doing that on pain killers, and for the most part, squatting down, and using my other arm with any real resistants pulls my shoulder…consequently I’m pretty frustrated, and having a hard time seeing the glass half full…
Give it to me right between the eyes please…
Sheila:
Typically people will have a difficult time sleeping due to pain for the first 4-6 weeks. After that, I would say that it is common to see notable pain (although not as intense) for many months afterwards. I have seen some patients who do not feel entirely “normal” for four to six months after this surgery, sometimes longer.
Downward dog needs to be on the back-burner until your pain is entirely gone and you are cleared from your doctor. Follow the strengthening protocol from your PT or doctor. You need to think long term.
Hey guys, I recently had a slap repair done 6 weeks ago, key hole surgery,
I’m only 21 and had a tear from 10o’clock to 5 o’clock, And had 6 push locks put in nylon to skin,
About 3 weeks in while sleeping with sling on I woke up and realised I had rolled onto it funny and my arm was in a odd position, As the pain woke me up i got up and fixed my sling, the pain stopped fairly quickly and i tried some pendulum exercises and could move my arm ALOT more and raise my arm higher with before it would stop/pain , when the day before I physically couldn’t move my arm that high *wasn’t forcing it* or had the range of motion in the pendulum exercise for ROM.
I gotta little worried for it to change so quickly over night, today, 6 weeks after surgery, was cleared to take sling off, I went to physiotherapy and done some range of motion and the the physio was amazed and how much range of motion I can freely move my arm (still not full range) and not much pain and tried some strengthening exercises with a 1kg weight witch caused me no pain.
I’m worried that on the night I rolled on it I damaged my repair somehow? It seems almost too good.
I can do most things with no pain *Havent been doing anything heavy or tried physical work*
shoulder feels a little tight and a slight throb now and then
Am I over-reacting? If i did damage it would I be in more pain and not less?
Brent:
One of the hallmark signs of a labrum re-tear is lots of disproportionate pain. What you are describing certainly does not sound like that. It actually sounds like you are doing great!
The only time I have ever seen anyone damage a shoulder surgery from sleeping involved thrashing the arm as a result of the patient having a violent nightmare. This woman actually “cocooned” herself in her sheets from rolling around too much, and when she realized that her arms were tethered down to her side from the sheets she tried to forcibly free her arms. She was basically using all of her strength to try to move her shoulder. She was 2 weeks post-operative.
By 6 weeks post-operative Brent you would have to really do something extreme to re-tear the labrum.
Stick to your PT’s post-operative protocol, I am guessing that you will do just fine. Dont’ worry!
Thank you very much, Makes me feel much better, I see my surgen on Tuesday Next week.
I’ll tell him all I said today and maybe get another MRI Anthrogram if he also agrees to make sure it all went good.
Due to my job paying for all this I don’t want to go through 6 months of rehab to find out its no good then have to do it again/possibly lose job.
It was quite a large tear for such a young age and hearing every one else’s troubles at 6 weeks + just made me worry at how well I was doing ^_^.
Funny thing was Ive had the tear for about 2 years and 6 months prior to surgery when I was trying to convince surgen and doctor that there was something very wrong with my shoulder they tried all these tests for my range of movement and I passed all with no pain lol, It was only during sports requiring high power throwing or using a racket or just doing military heaves/pull ups and I got a severe pain and lose of power and something felt it went in the wrong placein my arm then 5 mins later it felt alright again. I could do push ups just fine and most other things, and the doc and physio would not believe me about my symptoms and I went for X-rays and ultra sounds all showed nothing!
I told them from day 1 mt shoulder did not feel right and I should go for MRI!
And when They finally agreed to MRI Anthrogram, “dear god your shoulder is a Mess.”
And it was worse once the surgen opened me up on op day and took a look inside!
Well I’ll see my surgen for my post op soon and I’ll let every one know how it goes.
Thanks!
Regards Brent.
After reading all of the above comments and insights, I’m inclined to share my own post-op concerns. I’m about 14 weeks removed from slap repair surgery — was told there were 3 significant tears — and was cleared to go back to work a couple weeks ago. I have a lot of faith in my surgeon, as he successfully repaired my other shoulder and knee 7 years ago. Still pain free, thank God.
Anyway, my physical therapy went pretty well and I was feeling little to no pain at the 3 month post-op. However, since returning to work (home remodeling) I’ve felt quite of bit of lingering pain. I’ve kept the heavy lifting to a minimum, but have had to work above my head a bit. I figured it’d be an adjustment and I’d have some soreness, but I’ve taken off the last week and have had continued (though a bit diminished) pain. Some behind the shoulder blade, some behind the socket and around the outside of my shoulder.
I’ve been icing and taking Advil, and am willing to work with pain (as that was the case for a couple years before the surgery), but I’m obviously trying to avoid setbacks or re-injury. Praying that’s not already the case…
Should I be concerned? Or just expect the soreness as part of the return to health for the next several weeks? I plan on contacting my surgeon again, but he can be tough to reach. So I’ll appreciate your time and insights, Dan.
Happy 4th!
-David
David:
I doubt that you re-tore anything.
Given that your job is quite physical I am guessing that this is your shoulder’s reaction to the strain that you are now placing on it. All of the muscles surrounding the shoulder blade need to have a good amount of strength in order to control your arm, especially if you are working “overhead”.
I would continue working on strengthening of the scapular muscles (lower trapezium, middle trapezium, serratus anterior) in addition to the traditional rotator cuff exercises with the guidance of your PT and doctor.
Hi Dan,
I am at the start of my 6th week post op. Four anchors in a SLAP tear from a car accident, a small amount of arthritis removal, and impingement. Biceps looked good except for a small amount of irritation, so left alone. PT protocol is Bankart starting at week 4. Surgeon giddy with how textbook/perfect everything went.
Does most of the pain from a labrum tear, (6 o’clock to 1 o’clock) focus in the bicep/tricep area for most people, with some in the pectoral area less often?
When can I sleep without the wedge and pillow under my arm and/or sleep on the affected side? (Last night was a no-go.)
When can I fully dress myself alone? (bra mostly)
Is it common to feel swelling under the arm a lot, especially after a PT session?
I’m having the most difficulty with when to push myself and when to back off and rest, ice, etc because it feels like my arm is a better boat anchor than an arm. Is there a good rule of thumb or can you set my expectations a bit? (Is the end of my 6th week/beginning of week 7 going to make me say, AHHH!)
PT says I’m really ahead of schedule or right at schedule with ROM, but I get so tired of aching all the time until I can’t stand it anymore and bail for a pain med (Delaudid due to allergy to codeine.) I really want ibuprofen, but surgeon doesn’t like it for some reason. Just curious, why? Is he just worried I’ll take it all the time and ruin my gut or is there a healing reason? Mobic does nothing for me. I’ve been working at a desk job since day 10 post op as I was out of time off. Am I just exhausted and everything is catching up with me? I’m very scared to take time off to rest it and end up backsliding. Suggestions?
Will see doc again in 10 days.
Thank you!!
-Becky
Becky:
I have treated labral repair patients who have had pain in all of your mentioned areas, from the biceps and even into the pectoralis area. Relatively speaking you are still relatively early in the process.
Sleeping typically starts to get a bit easier around weeks 4 to 8, although age, fitness, and other medical conditions can cause rather large variations in that timeframe. It has been my experience that people who are “hyperflexible”, or those who have alot range of motion (yoga teachers etc), tend to lag in this process.
Most doctors will give the okay for more active ranges after week 8, although you should check with the doctor and the PT.
The bra thing is a bit tricky given that you have to bring the arm into significant internal rotation range behing your back. That is going to take a long time (many months) to get that back.
The bottom line Becky is that you are likely going to ache for some time. Stick with the PT, and realize that it is acceptable to give yourself rest days from your stretching and conditioning. I would also get up from your desk hourly and walk around: sitting down at a computer is a killer for the healing process. Get the mouse and the keyboard close to you so that you don’t need to reach. Your elbow should stay close to the plane of your body!
Dan
Thank you! I appreciate your candor. It helps me to know what to expect.
I think I’ve been pushing too hard and increased the inflammation of the bicep. I’ll back off to stretching only for a bit and quit pushing so hard.
Funny that you said that about walking around at work. It makes me feel better so I do it frequently. :)
Thanks again for all your help!
Thanks, I have an appointment in 10 days. Meanwhile I have been told to lay off exercise but am continuing with the pendulum regime. I am wearing my sling at night and typically sleep on my side, I will try the pillow under the arm, it does feel better when my arm is away a little from my body. I tried raising my arm from the elbow with holding my cell but cant raise it. I am wondering if frozen shoulder has set in ? I thought the oxycocet would have helped, but it seems to have little effect on the pain, just makes me sleepy. I am now concerned about next semester starting in 6 weeks.
Hi Dan,
Running into this website has been amazing!
I am 33 years old, male. I injured myself playing tennis (I served without any prior warm-up or stretching and felt intense pain). I stopped playing tennis but did not take the injury very seriously. After about 1.5 years of recurring pain I saw an orthopedist who recommended physical therapy and an MRI. The MRI revealed no visible injury. Physical therapy however did not heal my shoulder (I kept feeling a pinching sensation when doing some movements but never came even close to dislocating my shoulder). After this I consulted a specialist in shoulder injuries. He said that labrum tears are rarely visible in MRI’s and his physical examination suggested a SLAP tear. He recommended 10 sessions of physical therapy which did make me feel much better. However after I stopped them, the pain returned. I did 10 additional sessions but the pain did not go away. The doctor then recommended an arthroscopic surgery.
I had my SLAP tear surgery exactly 3 months ago. The doctor said I had a very small tear at exactly 11 o’clock and only one anchored suture was required. I started doing physical therapy about 1.5-2 weeks after the surgery and have been doing PT almost every day since then (I have done more or less 45 sessions). I have recovered relatively well but I still feel some pain. All my shoulder is very sore and some of the pain is evidently muscular so I suspect this will heal gradually. I’ve also developed some tendinitis on my healthy shoulder! I am feeling a bit worried about the extent to which I will fully recover. The pain was so moderate prior to the surgery (it did stop me from playing tennis but the pain did not interfere with most of my daily activities) that sometimes I wonder whether surgery was the right decision. I have some brief questions for you:
1. Is it normal to have some considerable pain 3 months after the surgery?
2. I feel my arm muscles are very sore and fatigued (this explains some of the pain). My bicep hurts quite a bit. Is it advisable to cut down some of the physical therapy and let the muscles heal? Or shall I continue doing as many PT sessions as possible?
3. My main concern is that sometimes I also feel minor pain in the joint (in the place were the tear took place). This is a pain that reminds me of the one I had prior to the surgery. Is this normal? Will my joint continue hurting while the labrum fully attaches back?
4. I hear a cracking noise whenever I move my shoulder (the first movements of the day) but the noise eventually goes away. Is this cracking noise normal?
I suspect I can be a bit impatient and anxious regarding my recovery. I have regained almost full range of motion and my arm feels very strong. My concern is with the pain I still feel not only in the muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder but also sometimes, deeper inside the joint.
Thanks again for you very useful advice!
Pablo
Hello Dan,
sorry for my english because I can´t speak it well, but I´ll try to explain my issue:
I´ve been operated 3 weeks ago by arthroscopy of a type 2 SLAP tear extending from 10 to 1 hours with 2 fixation devices (2 lupines). No biceps tendon or rotator cuff damage. Lesion caused by repetitive sport activity (overuse) a lot of years ago.
I´ve not been already called to physical therapy (spanish health system is very slow) but I started on my own rehab protocol exercicies I´ve found in the web. My problem is this:
I feel pain, a very localized pain just anterior in the humeral head. It is like a very painful contracture sensation of muscular fibers in that exactly location and it is triggered while doing anterior elevation (shoulder flexion). If I do not execute perfectly the only right way for elevation (there is only one painless way to elevate the arm) with a minimal deviation of that way that pain appears. I think it is refered to the long biceps tendon (the pain is deep and localized in its theoretical position). No pain refered to abduction, extension or rotation.
1a.-Is this normal in this point of the recovery process? 1b.-To what extent should I avoid trigger the pain? (I´ve read that rehab can be painful and rehab is necessary). 1c.-May it cause damage to the bicipitolabral complex?
2 The major preoccupation is the risk of re-rupture. I read above that it is unlikely after the first month during recovery time and one article* shows that re-rupture is a rare event long-term too (1 of 47 and this one was a traumatic reinjury). *Outcomes After Arthroscopic Repair of Type-II SLAP Lesions. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009 July 1; 91(7): 1595–1603.
What is your experience regard reinjury short and long-term?
thanks a lot.
Hi. Is it normal to suddenly develope constant soreness down my arm at week 7. I saw my surgeon 2weeks ago and he said repair was fine. Can he really tell just from examining me. Could this newpain be a sign that i damaged the repair weeks ago.My first physio was confused about the op i had so she convinced me to do bicep curls just 4 days after op. My second pt had me doing push ups on a gym b all at 4 weeks. Both incidents mafe joint very painful for a day or two. I had a slap repair with my tendon also repaired. Thanks for your help.
Donna:
Check with your doctor for the post-operative protocol. Biceps curls 4 days post op doesn’t sound right to me, neither do push ups on a gym ball at 4 weeks. On the positive side, if you re-tore the labrum you would have been in extreme pain immediately after those exercises up until today.
Having said that, It is not unheard of to have pain in the shoulder 7 weeks post-op. I would just give it a few days of rest with some ice to calm the inflammation. Ramp your exercises down: light stretching is fine, but I personally would avoid doing anything too strenuous at least until 12 weeks post-operative.
Dan
David:
I think that you are probably doing too much too soon. I would not be doing anything yet that requires “active” range of motion. “Passive” range of motion is okay to do, such as a gentle pendelum, or “Codman’s” exercise. I am sure that you can find a demonstration of this type of exercise on the internet. (If you actually check our website’s “media” tab, the password is “patient”, I think that we have the pendelum exericse demonstration under shoulder exercises.
Get some guidance as soon as you can from either a physio or your surgeon.
Dan
Hi there. I recently had an anterior labral repair / subacromial decompression operation exactly 2 weeks to this day. At week 2, the pain has exponentially decreased, BUT I have been experiencing some sensitivity in my elbow. It is sensitive to the touch and feels sore. Is this normal? Is this from keeping it in my brace all day? Other than that, my shoulder itself actually feels a lot better, still some discomfort, but a big improvement from week 1. The elbow has me concerned, however.
Adam:
That sounds like you have irritated the bursa that lies on the tip of your elbow. The brace is probably placing stress on it, or you are resting your elbow on surfaces in such a way that you are irritating it.
See if you can adjust the brace in such a way that it lessens the stress. I would tell the doc as well. The best thing of course will be to get rid of the brace entirely, but you really have to wait until the doctor gives you the okay to do so.
Ask the doctor if you could perhaps remove the brace while you are seated / resting at home.
Dan
Hi Dan
I had surgery 4 weeks ago to repair a torn labrum at 12 oclock, one anchor and two sutures where used for the repair, everything was going well, i stopped all pain meds 3 days after surgery wasn’t getting any pain what so ever unless my muscles twitched or i sneezed or couched ect, on week three after getting changed after a shower but before putting my sling on i put my phone into my pocket in a hoody jacket located in front of the belly button, while doing this i felt and heard a audible click or pop it wasn’t very painful but after that if i shrugged my shoulder up and down for the next day or two i would feel quite a big pinch at the top of the shoulder where the repair was, the pinching feeling subsided after 2 or so days but since since that i have felt a cold burning feeling in my rotator cuff/ rear delt and would sometimes travel down to my tricep, also since it feels less stable than it did prior to the clicking sound, just now at 4 and a half weeks im not really getting the burning feeling at all though it steel feels slightly unstable for example when being driven even the smallest bump i can feel in the shoulder joint however it is not painful, even typing it feels different to my other shoulder.
when putting my phone in my pocket my elbow would have been about 15 – 20 degrees lower than shoulder height and humerus internally rotated to put he the phone in the pocket, i have a really big feeling that i have torn the stitches, what is your opinion am i just overreacting, i am a personal trainer and really need to get my shoulder back to the best it can, nor do i want to rush the rehab and re injure it again, your opinion would be greatly appreciated, Thanks, George
George!
What you are describing sounds more like the biceps tendon or one of the RC tendons rolling over one of the tuberosities of the humerus. Totally normaI given that your rotator cuff is super weak right now, although the noise that it can make will often scare people a bit. I would be shocked if what you described caused a re-tear. You would be in a huge amount of pain if it was re-torn.
Don’t sweat it. Stick to your rehab protocol and follow up with the surgeon at the allotted time.
Dan
Hi everyone, I had a 180 degree slap repair 11 weeks ago. Did great until the 4th week and PT stopped the use of my sling except for sleeping. Then major inflammation, pain and serious muscle spasms began in my arm and bicep groove. Had yet another cortisone injection, which helped for about 3 weeks. Now the inflammation is not leaving, it is settling in my upper arm. I have non-stop aching, stiffness, arm spasms and pain. I know this is not an easy recovery but my PT is very concerned about my bodies inability to remove the inflammation. Has anyone else experienced this?
Lisa
I have seen a few people over the years who have the level of irritation that you are describing, I find that they tend to be female and have a large amount of general hyper-extensibility in the joints. (chronic dislocators of the shoudler)
My advice is to lay off the exercises for about 7-10 days. Let your muscles recharge. I have also found that sleeping on your back with one pillow placed under your elbow and hand places the tendons in a position that allows maximal blood perfusion. I would also ice it at the end of each day.
Dan
Good morning Dan,
I had surgery to repair a torn labrum in early March this year (bankart lesion). I have two anchors in my shoulder. I’ve been told by my surgeon and physio that this was likely due to dislocations, but I have never actually felt anything that severe in my shoulder – it just kind of starting hurting after taking up brazilian jiu jitsu!
Anyway, it is 5 months post surgery and my physio has indicated that its fine for me to go back to jiu jitsu or kickboxing. Given I was originally told 4 months recovery, and then later i was told 6-9 months, I’m a bit unsure as to whether it is too early to get back into training.
I have good range of movement but the shoulder is still tight. It is a bit sore when I place it behind my back also, either in the ‘at ease’ position or reaching upwards towards the middle of my back. It also hurts to hang off ( eg chin-ups, although I can manage them as long as I dont allow my full weight onto that shoulder). Most worrisome, is that I sometimes get a spike of strong pain in random situations – like reaching for my dog when he is running from me, or something like that.
What are your thoughts on recovery periods? I’m quite fit, 29 yr old, male. Does 5 months seem to early? I’m paranoid about re-injuring it by going back to training too early but I’m going crazy not doing anything but rehab exercises and light weights.
Sam:
Jiu Jitsu involves a lot of grabbing, pulling, and throwing. My guess is that your arm got “tractioned”, or yanked by an opponent. This can certainly cause a labral tear. I just discharge a patient last month who was very similar to you.
At 5 months it is not uncommon to have the issues that you are describing. The problem with your shoulder prior to the surgery was that you likely had too much mobility: the surgeon tightened your capsule a bit so that you would be at minimum risk for getting your shoulder yanked out of place again. YOU WANT YOUR ARM TO FEEL TIGHTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
My advice is this Sam, a little bit of gentle stretching is fine. Don’t overdo it though. You also need to realize that as you age, your bodies ability to recover changes. If you must do chin ups, I would recommend doing them on a machine that allows you to de-weight them (the platform that goes under your knees). Also listen to what your body is telling you: if you notice sharp spikes of pain with an activity, lay off it and find another way to strengthen it for the short term. It will likely be close to 10-12 months before the pains work themselves out.
Thanks for the speedy reply and advice Dan! Getting another professional opinion is helpful.
It certainly feels a bit tighter than before, so my surgeon appears to have done a good job there! Just so I’m clear, does my chance of re-injury go down if I leave it for a few more weeks/months before getting back into BJJ?
I’m happy to get back into training if there is only some pain that will eventually go away, but if the pain indicates my shoulder isnt strong enough to train, I wont go back yet.
Your chance of re-injury does decrease the longer you rehab the shoulder prior to starting up with martial arts. If you are still getting some sharp pain with quick movements of the shoulder I would continue with slow strengthening and stay away from the martial arts until about 6 months post op.
You are probably going to have some light achiness in the shoulder regardless for several more months. Use that time to make sure that the rotator cuff and the scapular rotators are strengthened.
Hi Dan,
I injured my shoulder from falling down due to my friend tackling me. I caught my fall but i heard a tear/ripping noise. I got an mri at the HSS and they said I have a labral tear. I got a arthroscope surgery on 6/17. I didn’t feel much pain on the following day. However recently, i feel like theres a deep aching pain in my deltoids( majority in the front delts). I was wondering if this pain is normal. I google the feeling and they said its a deltoid tendonitis and it is associated with labral tears. I am wondering if this pain is normal post op or did they miss repairing this part of the injury.
I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Chris this is totally normal for a post operative labral tear: I am assuming that you had the labrum repaired???
Pain in the detoids can also be referred from the shoulder joint and / or the rotator cuff. Inflammation of the shoulder or rotator cuff from a surgery can refer pain in to your deltoid quite easily.
Don’t sweat it Chris, pain at this point is par for the course. Make sure that you follow your MD’s protocol for range of motion and strengthening.
Dan
Hi Dan,
I am currently 14 days since my posterior labrum tear and tightening of the capsules surgery. I had 2 anchors put in and everything went great (except they couldn’t get he pain block to work- darn in).
Background- I am a 25 year old PGA Golf Professional, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and getting another fitness certification, so young and active. I injured my shoulder golfing two years ago, however started working out a lot and really strengthening it since. However, a few weeks ago I was in the middle of a round and ended up tearing it. I am right handed but it was my left shoulder and tore at impact- hence the posterior tear, shoulder slipping out backwards.
I had my one week post op appointment and the PA couldn’t believe my progress (nor could anyone else I know that have had a similar surgery). For the most part I feel perfectly fine, it gets sore at times but nothing abnormal. After 6 days I was already lifting my hand above my head and for the most part relatively pain free. She gave me some more advanced exercises then the normal 2-4 week ones before starting PT, however I was able to do the full ROM on all of them with out pain. Again, it gets sore, but no sharp pain since the surgery. I am just curious why I am so far advanced and what I should expect for a recovery time. I want it to heal correctly but I am also frustrated because I keep hearing how well I am doing but yet am still in the immobilizer and am told to be very limited with everything I do.
I personally know three orthopedic surgeons that just keep telling me to have patience, easier said then done!
Bottom line, I am frustrated and need some guidance if you wouldn’t mind!!
Thanks- Maureen
Maureen:
Oh how wonderful it must be to be 25 and fit…………
You are doing extremely well probably because of your level of fitness: your body just heals much better and faster than mine would if I were to have the same surgery.
Having said that Maureen, FOLLOW THE EXACT PROTOCOL OF REHAB FROM YOUR DOCTOR AND PT! On several occasions I have seen people similar to yourself botch a perfectly good repair from “taking the rehab into their own hands”. Stay far away from Crossfit until you are cleared from your doc. Crossfit is very high risk (and high reward of course) and it can be quite dangerous in your case if done too soon.
Get your fix from the recumbent bicycle, leg weights, abdominals etc.. You must allow the anchors and soft tissue to gain more tensile strength before you start taking full golf swings etc.. I am going to whole-heartedly agree with the MD’s here and say “be patient”. I know that you are bored and frustrated, but better to be frustrated than to find yourself on the operating table again.
Dan
Hey dan
I am currently 20 weeks post op on a anterior inferior labrum repair with an alpsa lesion my shoulder feels strong though it does click a bit and feels as if it shifts a bit when I let it hang down otherwise I feel great I am 23 years old and I am an mma fighter I am back to heavy weight lifting and also do my rehab independently since I finished my time at the rehab center my doctor said that statistically I am better off waiting 4 more weeks to begin a gradual return to training but if I did some light training now would I be okay
Thanks
Nick
Hey Nick,
Try adding in a Body Blade CxT to your workouts to help build stability in the joint. I found over the years the decline bench has been better for me even when heavy vs. flat or incline bench. Heavy flat and incline benches, overhead presses, heavy deadlifting/olympic lifts will increase the chances of re-injury or prolonged recovery time.
The “clicking” you describe sounds like the humorous may not be gliding properly yet and that increases your chances of re-injury should you not address rotator cuff function before going heavy on your workouts.
Go light for a while. Work your rotator cuff muscles and back muscles more than your pressing muscles for now. It’s very important to get the joint gliding more fluid before progressing.
If you have any more questions, just let us know.
Best,
Phil
Also Nick,
If the Doc wants you to lay off for a few weeks, It may be best to do so and then add in the work I listed above.
Best,
Phil
Thanx Phil I plan on continuing to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles though I am looking to start light and gradual return to mma training like muay Thai and jiu jitsu do you feel that if I continue rehabbing and exercising I can begin light training at the 6 month mark as my surgeon suggested
Also my external rotation is good but not as good as my non operated arm will I get that range back over the next few months or is that range loss permanent
Nick, the way that your shoulder was repaired will likely keep a slight amount of tightness in the external rotation. This stabilizes the joint and makes it less likely that you will dislocate.
Get cleared from the MD before going back to light training! I don’t know if Phillip mentioned this, but a “body blade” is a great rehab tool for you in terms of rotator cuff stabilization. If you haven’t used one check them out online.
Dan
On 7-27 I had SLAP repair, AC joint resection,and subacromial decompression of my left shoulder. My question is: How much walking can I do? I usually walk 2-4 miles a day and wonder if this is still ok especially without being able to drive.
Question 2: Why do some surgeons say ibuprofen is OK and some don’t?
Colette:
I would say that it is way too soon to be allowing normal arm swing with walking. The soft tissue in your shoulder needs at least 2 to 3 weeks to heal. Am I to assume that the MD has given you a sling to wear?
Your best bet early on is to use a recumbent bicycle at the gym in order to get your cardio fix. Once the MD clears you to get rid of the sling you could start walking limited distances. Build slowly!
In response to your pharmaceutical question, drugs aren’t my area of expertise. I do think however that a good anti-inflammatory will help you get over the initial inflammatory response form the surgery. Lord knows that you have some inflammation in your shoulder given that your surgeon did three different things.
Regards,
Dan
Dan,
Oh yes, the sling is prescribed for 6 weeks and I would be walking with it on definitely!
Can’t get to the gym as instructed no driving until sling is off. Catch 22.
I will try to get to the gym when I go to PT twice a week!
Thanks so much this site has been very helpful!
Collette
I had my posterior labrum repaired in my right shoulder 3 months ago. After two months it felt great…normal, sleeping on a bed, could grab milk out of the fridge and lifting very light weights at the gym. I did something very stupid, but at the time thought I would be fine. I went on a little rope swing that goes into the water. I thought if I grabbed and supported most of the weight with my feet and my left arm up high things would be fine between doing that, I also landed feet first into the water with my surgical arm slightly abducted and extended. Which I felt nothing that day (august 1), but starting the next day until today (5 days post) I have been feeling the deep pain in the surgical site. A dull ache/burn that hasn’t gone away…definitely not muscular.
I guess what i’m asking is…is it retorn? or just inflammed?
MIke:
If I had to bet, I would say that you merely irritated it. The rope trick was probably not a great idea for 3 months post-op. Re-tears tend to be incredibly painful and immediate: the amount that you are reporting is not really consistent with a re-tear.
Stick to very light exercise and if the pain does not slowly subside over the next couple of weeks I would give the MD a call and schedule a visit just to be safe.
In general shoulders do not have “normal” strength after this type of surgery until at least 4-6 months post-op.
Dan
Hi all,
My name is kylie & i am at almost 13 weeks post op (labrum repair, 4 anchors) I had my sling removed at my first post op check up at 6 weeks, he seemed happy with how i was (relativley stiff) but after repatitive dislocations from rep Netball i think he wanted it that way. i had minimal pain after surgery unless i bumped or moved it the wrong way and the first few weeks of physio were ok, however i have an inflamed long head of biceps tendon which is causing alot of pain while trying to do my recovery exercises along with a scapula that is sitting in winged position so i feel like this is delaying the progress. All i want is to be able to lift my arm above my head! im stuck just past 90 degrees. Frustrating to say the least when i work in a university gym & pool alongside athletes all day. I am starting to really worry about not being able to break that 90 degree barrier i feel like i am a long way behind i am so ancious to get this right, i am having some tissue work, accupunture, chnese cupping etc, any other suggestions?
Kyie
Kyie:
Have you tried using pulleys? I have found that patients that need assistance with the higher ranges do well with pulleys. You can get a pulley system for about 15$ from Patterson Medical. The brand that I use is called “Norco” shoulder pulley. You strap it over a door, sit down and use your good arm to pull the surgical arm up over 90 degrees with the assistance of the surgical arm. It is an “active assisted” exercise.
I would also be working on strengthening the muscles that surround your shoulder blade, i.e. the serratus anterior, lower trapezium, and middle trapezium. Ask your physical therapist for specific ideas, or if you check out our media tab on the website (the password is patient) we have some exercises done over a physioball in addition to serratus anterior push outs. Just make sure that you clear them with your doctor!
Dan
Hi everyone and kylie, so I just broke my 14 weeks post op mark I had a tear from 2 o’clock to 8 o’clock and had 6 anchors put in. I know exactly what you’re talking about this is a very long road to recovery and not to mention I’m a contractor who needs to use both my arms. It is very frustrating sitting around waiting for something like this to heal. But over these 14 long weeks I have found things that have really helped me. at my 10 week mark I had almost saw 0 results from pt and was not able to raise my arm above 90 degrees. Just went and saw my surgeon 2 days ago and was able to raise my arm all the way up to 180 degrees. There were a few different things that contributed to this success number 1 was I change my way of thinking I got very positive and stop being so depressed. the number two thing was I change my physical therapist. My new physical therapist went at it a totally different way and we started strengthening my rotator cuff muscles and also the muscles around my shoulder blade the things we were doing seemd silly to me and like they were not gonna make a difference in 4 weeks they did they made a dramatic difference. Kylie I hope this helps you and please stay positive things will get better. Grant
Kylie a few other things I forgot to mention. I also have an inflamed tendon it is the 1 that comes off my peck and anchors on upper humorous of my arm. My therapist says as the other muscle strengthen that it will relax and not be so stiff and painful. We have started to stretch this muscle and are starting to get some relief. If u don’t mind me asking what type of exercises is your pt having you do?
Hi. I had a small anterior labral tear repaired with sutures and anchor 6 weeks ago, plus bursitis and bone spurs removed. I was doing GREAT until a week ago when I lifted a laundry basket down off a counter. It wasn’t super heavy, and I didn’t feel anything bad at the time, but since that day I’ve been super sore again, and I can no longer do small things like wash a glass or cut meat without feeling bad pain in the joint. I feel better after doing my PT stretches, but it also feels as though I have a tight strap laying across the top of my shoulder, like an imaginary bra strap. I’d like to hear your thoughts about what might be going on, and when I can expect this recent inflammation to calm again. Thank you!
Jane!
Probably just inflamed, although lifting objects at 6 weeks was probably not a great idea. Re-tears tend to cause immediate and constant pain. The more likely explanation is that you slightly overloaded already weak rotator cuff muscles. It is really easy to develop bursitis or tendonitis after this type of surgery, especially during the first 8-10 weeks post-operative.
I would give it at least 1-2 weeks of taking it easy. If it still isn’t improving by then run it by the surgeon.
Dan
Thank you, Dan. I feel stupid for lifting the laundry basket, but at the time I felt so strong. I’d just started doing active with 1-lb weights at PT the day before, with little pain (though boy that 1 lb felt like 80!). So I guess I thought it would be OK and I kept my elbow tight into my body and didn’t extend the bicep. I do hope you’re right that it’s just inflamed. I have a high pain tolerance, it seems, so I’m not sure whether I’m feeling the “constant pain” you describe after a re-tear. Anyway, thank you.
A follow-up, for people reading this site who are worried, like I was, that they’ve re-torn their repair. My shoulder’s feeling much better after rest, ice, ibuprofen, and gentle stretches. My surgeon’s assistant saw me yesterday, and she thinks I tweaked the rotator muscles (exactly as Dan suggested). She said it would be almost impossible to tear the internal sutures without rotating the arm out from my body or overhead. Whew. My PT added that she thinks I make myself sore, too, by tensing and protecting the arm while I walk around, rather than letting it relax and find its natural motion again. It all makes sense. I do think expectations and worry are half the battle, and much of healing is a mental challenge. Good luck, everyone!
I had the Rotator cuff, Bicep Tendon and the Anterior Labrim all repaired almost 10 years ago. It took several weeks in an airplane brace to mend and then weeks of therapy. My Doctor of choice has retired (and my lawyer) so I was put back into the Workman’s Comp system base. I went to see one of their Doctor’s and an MRI was performed and said he could not see anything because of the metallic interference. Otherwise nothing was wrong, as far as he was concerned, and he would not operate to fix it. This was after telling him about the pain in my neck and shoulder joint, that my hands fall asleep, twitching in my arm, pain in my elbow as well. So I have a useless right arm (am right handed) and no recourse – even though it is fully covered by the Insurance, no other insurance can take care of it, because it is covered for life by the original insurance company. Is there cause for concern? Sleep is a concern as I can not sleep on the right side either because of the pain.
Hi,
I had an anterior labral tear from six to 12 o’clock repaired with three anchors and a partially detached long head biceps tendon reattached on January 20th. All post op PT has gone very well. I did everything according to to books and gradually got back to 90-100% in weight room without any pain. Now I’m 6mo post op and returned to football. Upon starting contact my shoulder pain has returned in the front of the joint. I don’t recall any specific hit causing any pain or indication of damage. The pain subsides overnight and I have full range of motion without pain. Is this abnormal, could their be some scar tissue or irritation for awhile that I need to work through? Would taping or strapping help?
That’s a tricky one. I think that full scale hits using the shoulder is not a great idea regardless of your prior history. Your shoulder obviously has the tendency to develop tearing and instability. If it were my shoulder, I would find some other activity than football to pursue. Get your rotator cuff and scapular muscles as strong as possible. Support taping / kinesiotaping is a good idea as well.
I will also forward your post to Phillip our trainer: he did exactly what you did and was big in to football at the time.
Dan
Greg,
My personal experience as an ex football player with the same injury is you can’t continue with the hits and expect your shoulder to stay healthy. Listen to your body. The discomfort you feel is telling you something. I had a couple of repairs and even straps are not enough protection against a fall or award hit.
Unfortunately, once joint stability is compromised it it hard to gain original stability again. The physiology just isn’t the same anymore. I have to agree with Dan…try another sport if you can.
Hi, I have an anterior labral tear and a surgery scheduled for next week. I’m terrified of General so reading all these stories has made the whole process slightly less scary. I hope everyone is making recoveries. My question is to what degree can I use the hand on that side, post-op? It’s my right shoulder and I am right handed and…I am an illustrator. I am totally confused by what I have read online regarding use of the hand. My doctor had told me that I would wear the sling 24/7 for 4 weeks, with no pt until after 4 weeks, but some people are talking about exercises after 2 weeks. I’d love to be clearer on that, but most especially, if I don’t use my arm, can I still use my hand? Can a person untwist a cap from toothpaste? How soon after surgery? If I bring paper up to my hand, can I draw?
Thanks
Hi,
I had a Slap Tear in my shoulder from baseball last fall and had surgery in December 2011. Now I am able to throw hard from 60-90 feet but once I try and stretch it out to about 120′ since I’m a catcher, I have the pain in my shoulder again. When I’m done throwing it stops hurting. The pain Isis the front of my shoulder and I don’t really know what it is. Is it possible I’ll get better than this or is it re-torn?
Thanks
Jennifer:
If you keep your arm in the sling for the first period of recovery , I don’t see why you couldn’t do very basic things with your hand almost immediately. You are not going to ruin the surgery with basic hand movements: the problem is that most people will unconsciously try to reach with the shoulder while using the hand. Fight that temptation.
If you are going to do some illustrations, keep the hand essentially in your lap and I would also support the elbow and sling with a pillow. Of course it is a good idea to run this by the doctor as well, doctors don’t like surprises.
In terms of exercises, doctors will vary as to when they want rehab started. Some docs want it within 1-2 weeks, and some wait until one month or more. My personal experience is that waiting 3-4 weeks to start PT allows a good amount of time for healing.
Dan
Mark:
If the pain is only with the long throws, my guess is that it is not re-torn. How does the strength in the shoulder feel? I would work on strengthening all of the muscles that upwardly rotate your scapula : lower trapezium and serratus anterior specifically. I would also do some guided rotator cuff strengthening.
My guess is that you will be able to throw further the stronger you get. If you do the strengthening for a while and the symptoms stay the same of worsen, go see the doc. It can’t hurt to get his / her opinion.
Dan
Thank you so so so much!
Thanks Dan! My strength feels okay. I worked rigorously through therapy and my throwing program but just the long throws hurt where I feel my labrum is. I will continue the strengthening. Thank you do much.
I had arthroscopic bankart repair to my right shoulder 1.5 week ago. I am worried becauseI have a high pain tolerance and will likely overexert the arm too soon (maybe i already did). What would re-tearing feel like? What sx’s would it cause? So far the arm feels fine, i am doing pendulum exercises and passive pole lifts with no problem. I keep it in the sling more time than not, but i subconsciously find sneaky ways to use it.
Lisa I had the exact same fears. I’m 8 week post surgery now and everything seems fine. I have a toddler and a new puppy, so needless to say I haven’t been just resting. I once shot my arm a little when my toddler appeared about to fall on the stairs, just 3 weeks after surgery, and I thought I’d torn the sutures but it turned out to be scar tissue — which was a good thing. Still, be careful. I don’t mean to suggest that my experience means you can go wild. I just heard familiar worries in your post and thought I’d share.
LIsa:
If you re-tore the shoulder you would have a huge amount of pain. If the arm feels fine, you are likely fine. Just be wary not to actively lift the arm until the doctor gives you permission to do so. Don’t worry!
Dan
i have been following this blog and posted earlier – it is the best site for reassurance which I think we all need! Just want to say I am in my fourth week post op and just when things seem like they are not progressing and I’m getting down about pain, limited motion things seem to be looking up – I’m one of those patients the surgeon wanted PT to start the first week – my range of motion has improved greatly – I’m now at 90 degrees forward flexion and abduction (from 45 degrees when we started ) – no external rotation yet. It’s slow going but it is progressing in the right direction. Just as Phil and Dan say, if it starts to hurt I lay off the exercises and give myself a break. Physical therapists are great – thank you for your support – and letting us know to be patient.
Collette
My 15 yr old daughter had posterial labrum tear repair surgery in Feb 12. She had no problems with PT and waited until the 6 month mark to start throwing a softball. She has been following a throwing program and has no pain when throwing up to 120′. She says she feels a pulling in her bicep when she tries to throw harder, is this normal? She doesn”t feel anything after she is done and she has been doing strengthening exercises all summer.
Priscilla:
The biceps tendon attaches on to the superior aspect of the labrum, so my guess is that the work that the bicep is doing to control her shoulder and elbow with throwing is placing stress on the labrum.
I would run it by the doctor just to be safe. I would also recommend that she continue to work a bit more on strengthening everything around her shoulder / rotator cuff in the mean time. I would also tell her not to throw past 120′ until she talks to the doc.
It is not uncommon for it to take more than 6 months to get full shoulder and rotator cuff strength return. It is highly unlikely that she has re-damaged anything.
Dan
Thanks everyone for the reassurance, i am posting so late from my original post, i really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. I am 2.5 weeks post-op labrum repair and as long as i stay in the “robot range” of motion, i am fine. My surgeon is not having me start PT until 6 weeks post- opt, so I am restricting my motion until then. Any thoughts on the best time or indicators to start PT?
Lisa starting rehab will differ depending on the surgeon and the extent of the repair. I am finding now that most surgeons will wait at least one month before starting a structured rehab program.
Unfortunately there really is not any indicator from your end that will let you know that you are ready to start PT. What you should be looking for in general is a slow and steady increase in comfort with sleeping and walking etc..
Dan
I am almost 7 weeks post op of labral tear surgery (3 anchors)and am not to use my arm yet. I started PT at 2 weeks out. On par with ROM but it hurts. I find a pain killer befor PT helps and I do the stretches daily at home. I see the doctor in 2 weeks and that will just over 8 weeks. I am hoping to get clearance to at least hold a glass of water. The not sleeping at night gets to me. Lying on my back or the good side is just uncomfortable. Looking forward to sleeping without the sling. I am also hoping a deep tissue massage this week will help those sore muscles on top of the shoulder and under the arm. Pain referral goes to just above the wrist. Not fun but the constant pain prior to surgery wasn’t fun either.
Sara you will get there, the worst is over!
My son had labrum surgery April 19 of this year. He is cleared from his doctor without limitations. He is a baseball player and has started fall baseball. While in the weight room the kids were suppose to max out on weights and my son went along, (instead of speaking up and saying he needs to build up his strenght) now he says the front of his shoulder hurts. It is nothing unbearable, he just said it is sore and hurts when he lifts it up to the side. Could he have messed it up again?
I tore my labrum a whole back playing baseball. I’m 25 now and had surgery August 6th. I’ve been out of my sling for a week and started physical therapy today. My therapist stretched me out, which hurt a ton, then they had me do heat and stim. After that I did an overhead pulley exercise that stretched my arm up overhead. That felt uncomfortable but sort of what I expected. The one thing that bothered me a lot, and they had me stop doing, was press a ball against a wall chest high with a straight arm and roll the ball in mini circles. My arm has been killing me since. I’ve iced it at home on and off as well. I know pain and discomfort are a part of PT but I’m just concerned. Any chance you can put my mind at ease and tell me what I should expect to feel in the following weeks? Thanks! Love this thread too, great source for peace of mind and reference.
Ken:
Re-tears are usually excruciating, so my guess is that he merely strained his rotator cuff. He needs to lay off it until the pain subsides. If the pain is not improving over the next two (2) weeks, I would check in with the doc just to be safe.
I will never understand the concept of “maxing out”, it only seems to ultimately get people into trouble.
Dan
Casey:
So based on your timeline I am guessing that you did the ball circles against the wall at week 3-4 post-operatively??? Usually this type of exercise would be introduced at, or after week 4. I cannot imagine that doing that would re-tear your labrum. Most likely you are feeling strain from the effort involved. It was probably a bit too soon.
My advice is to back off the the ball type exercises for a couple of weeks. Icing is a great idea. Light ranges of motion only until the pain subsides. Tell your PT and doc about the discomfort: your tissue is probably just more sensitive to changes in strain imposed upon it.
Dan
Im 3 months post op from a bankart slap and stabilization repair. My shoulder feels pretty good however my biceps tendon really limits my range. I get a huge stretch thats pretty uncomfortable and close to unbearable. There is also some pain when bending the elbow overhead. Overall the shoulder itself feels good. Just weak. Any insight on these pains and why im having trouble getting to full range at this stage of the game?
Im trying to be ready for lacrosse season. Im a college athlete and want to back to strength asap.
Danny:
At 3 months post-op, you are still healing and strengthening. The biceps tendon does attach on to the superior portion of the labrum, so I am wondering in there is a bit of scar tissue that is restricting the long head of your biceps when you move your elbow.
Continue with the strengthening and the range of motion protocol that the PT and doc gave you. It may also be worth your while to do some controlled biceps stretching, clear it with your PT first. It may still be several months before your shoulder feels more “normal”. Be patient. You don’t want to overdo it, especially in the earlier stages. (Like I said, 3 months in my opinion is till relatively early).
Great comments! i just had surgery today. It becan as RCT repair but became SLAP repair (only one anchor point) with debridement and LOTS of bone spur removal.
anyway, i am supposed to begin range of motion exercises tomorrow(!) and actual PT on monday. I’m only supposed to be in the sling for two weeks if things go as expected.
This seems ridiculously fast compared to what i’m reading here.
btw… forgot to mention that i only had about 15% of the labrum that was still intact. i didn’t speak with the doc after surgery (he spoke with my wife) but he did say he fixed the rest. She really didn’t know what that meant though. I’m 50 and have had this injury for over 2 years as a result of frequent heavy exercise and training through the pain. my rct was debrided and i suspect the labrum as well due to the amount of tearing and only a single anchor. he did tell her that the bone spurs digging into the supraspinatus was the likely source of my pain.
Guy:
I would be very conservative in regards to starting the range of motion. Don’t push it too hard, let the doctor’s work heal. I cannot explain why, but some doctors are very aggressive in terms of starting PT and range of motion.
Dan
OMG! Nerve block worn off. This REALLY HURTS. Even with percocets. How long should this post op level of pain continue? i can’t imagine doing anything with my arm today.
The pain will likely be there for a while, you should notice however that as the weeks progress your sleeping comfort and resting pain will decrease.
Many people find it much easier to sleep in a “lazy boy”, or partially reclined position. I would also check with the doc to make sure that you have the right dosages for pain meds etc..
Dan
So, I had posterior labrum surgery on 6/21 (11 & 1/2 weeks ago). Dr. has basically gave me clearance to do whatever. I’ve gone back to working out but no shoulder presses, push-ups, etc. I go back to the Dr. mid-October and he believes he’ll never have to see me again. Overall, surgery went very well, two anchors and very little pain afterwards. Range of Motion is almost completely back but I still have quite a bit of aching in the shoulder daily. Of course I have my good days and bad, but how long do most people experience the aching? I’m still going to PT once a week now, mainly for just a stretch as it’s hard to stretch it out on my own.
Thanks!
Clay:
I have seen some people who have some pain 3-6 months following the surgery. This does of course depend on age, activity level, and the level of damage prior to the surgery. Realize that the potential for pain is there as long as there is some weakness either in the rotator cuff muscles or weakness in the muscles that support the shoulder blade.
Dan
Dan, thanks for your response. I meant to mention that the Dr. also had to clean up my bursa sac and shaved the accromial bone to give me some more space in there.
Overall, I think things are progressing well.. Sounds like I just need to stick with my PT exercises daily and get all the surrounding muscles as strong as possible.
It’s great reading all these stories and your input on each subject is great to read.
Thanks again.
Hi, I hope you can help me. I have a 17 yr. old Senior in HS, wrestling since he was about 31/2 yrs old . In November 2011 he had almost 360 tear, anterior and posterior labrum repair, repaired slap tear, with 4 anchors. Two weeks ago at wrestling practice doing pull up, started hurting and aching severly in shoulder, not quite as bad as before surgery, but ortho doc and pain pill surgery. He has MR Arthrogram (sp?) this Fri ..
I guess I’m wonderibg if I should brace for the worst? He missed his whole Jr. year of wrestling, and has worked so hard to be able to wrestle this year. What could the chances be of him not wrestling again? O realize mri would help, but maybe an educated guess? 3 months of PT also. He’s also back to sleeping on the couch for comfort Thank you so much.
One Worried Momma
Leslie:
It sounds to me like your son probably has an excessive amount of flexibility to begin with in his shoulders and other joints. Wrestling, and training associated with wrestling does place a lot of stress on the shoulder capsule and labrum.
It sounds like he may have re-injured something. Sleeping discomfort, especially at your son’s age, is a concern. An MRI is certainly a good idea. If there is a confirmed rotator cuff tear or labral tear, I would give some serious thought to finding another sport for him. He does after all have to deal with his shoulder for the rest of his life.
Dan
I cannot express my thanks to you for your reply. My son had the MR Arthrogram done, ouch, and we find out the results out this Friday. My son & I have been talking about if it is torn again, what the options are, and if surgery is needed again, that’s what we’ll do. I also told him he has to have that shoulder for the rest of his life as well. He and I have also decided together that if surgery is required, he, unfortunately, will be done wrestling. His Ortho doc seems to be taking all of this lightly, which is quite frustrating, but we’ll see. I don’t expect his Dr. to be going nuts by any means, but what are the chances of a rotator cuff or retear 9 months post op by doing a pull up? On a positive note, he plans to go to college and earn a degree in education, and coach wrestling. :) Thank you for your much needed advice and time.
One Proud Momma
Hmmm, if the shoulder was weak to begin with, I suppose that it is possible that he tore a structure, although I wouldn’t think that it would be a rotator cuff tendon.
On 7-27 I had SLAP repair, AC joint resection,and subacromial decompression of my left shoulder – it’s been 7 1/2 weeks and the sling came off after six weeks – I have had PT since the first week post op. The pain is much better and I can sleep at night.
But my range of motion seems to be slow in coming back. What is the expectation for range of motion. My surgeon was disappointed that I could only lift my arm to about 90 degrees at 7 weeks. I am seeing PT twice a week and they spend about 5-10 minutes stretching my arm.
I’m using pulleys and poles at home. Is there anything else I can do? i’m starting to get worried that I’ll never be able to lift my arm above my shoulders.
Any advice for me?
Collette:
The sling is a necessary evil. It does protect you early on, however is does have the bad effect of restricting the mobility of the shoulder long term. My guess is that your shoulder has tightened up from this.
I would be diligent about performing the guided stretching exercises per your PT’s recommendation. Pulleys are a great idea. Realize that some people do also tend to scar up more than others post-operatively. You will get your range back, it just might take a long time to get there.
Surgeons have been known also to guilt or shame their patients into compliance. Don’t worry about it. Start with some pendelum / Codman’s exercises as a warm up to the pulleys ( I think that we might have it under our “Media” tab on our website, the password to get in is “patient”).
Dan
Dan,
Again thank you for your kind reassurance – I am an RN and know the value of following the prescribed regimen, which I have been doing but it’s seems like a fine line to walk between pushing yourself and not injuring the surgery.
How many times a day do you recommend your patients use the pulleys? for how long?
10 second holds, 10-15 times, light to moderate stretch. 1-2 times a day is fine.
Dan,
Thanks! This is great feedback – just wanted to make sure not to over do it in trying to “catch up”.
Collette
Hi Dan,
I had a bankhart repair on 7/24 and my recovery process has been coming along pretty good. I see small improvements in my shoulder everyday but I have one problem though, the OS asked me to get out of the sling on 09/04 , after 6 weeks from the day of surgery, and cleared me to sleep on the bed and that is where I have the issue. I tried to sleep on the bed (on my back) but as soon as I fall asleep I wake up with pain in my shoulder and so I went back to the recliner. My thinking was after my shoulder gets a little stronger i will go back to the bed, I tried it again yesterday and the same thing, I wake up in pain. My question is should I be worried about this or is this par for the course and I should try to get back to sleeping on the bed slowly ?
Thanks for this wonderful support you are providing us when we are going through some trying times.
Ravilla:
I have had some patients with the same problem. Ratchet down the incline of the recliner slowly, or place pillows underneath you on the bed to fiddle with the incline. You should notice a small difference from week to week. Your experience is totally normal by the way.
Dan
Thank you …
I had a SLAP repair and my bicep tendon reattached in late June this year. My doc took me off PT in late August since I was in a lot of pain. Pre-surgery I had pain but great range of motion. Now I am still in pain but can’t lift my arm over my head or reach into a back pocket. Washing/styling my hair and getting dressed/undressed is extremely difficult — most of the time I need help. The pain management specialist in the ortho practice thinks I have frozen shoulder, but the surgeon disagrees. He basically said he had no idea why I was still in pain and had limited range of motion. Now I’m still off PT and plan to see another doctor. Any idea on how long it takes to recover from a frozen shoulder or from this surgery? THANKS!
Liz:
Frozen shoulders are not fun. Unfortunately a significant percentage of post-operative shoulders get them, and they can last a long time. I have seen a few of them last for the better part of a year. The hallmark sign of a frozen shoulder is loss of range of motion into external rotation and flexion, and disproportionate pain with small or sudden movements. Frozen shoulders tend to be worse if you have diabetes.
The first stage of a frozen shoulder involves lots of pain and increasing stiffness in the joint. This stage can last a few months. The second stage involves tightness, but the pain tends to decrease. The third stage is the “thawing” stage, which shows a gradual increase in range of motion.
In your case Liz I would say that we need to know if you are in fact experiencing a frozen shoulder, because it really won’t do you much good to stretch the shoulder if you are in the first stage. Aggressive stretching in the first stage will usually make the pain and stiffness worse.
Dan
Thanks for your quick reply. Luckily I don’t have diabetes but I suspect this will take quite a while to heal.
I’m 19 and I had my SLAP repair back on the 22nd of June of this year. I got out of my sling near the end of July/beginning of August. Unfortunately, I had my surgery in Virginia and although they did a great job with me while I was there I had to leave in late-August to head back to college and was unable to complete or begin any physical therapy. I wasn’t concerned about it at first because aside from bringing my arm backwards (as you would to wind up to bowl) I had a pain-free, full range of motion. But the past few days, I’ve been feeling this nagging pain in the front of my shoulder with only the smallest of twitches on my behalf and a tenderness when just getting out of bed and letting my arm hang in its natural resting position. I’m concerned it might have something to do with the way I fell asleep a few nights ago, but even then I thought I had come far enough to be pain-free with something as menial as that. I’m wondering if I just need to rest it for a while or if anyone can recommend some physical therapy exercises for me to help me deal. Thanks.
-Future Physical Therapist
Future therapist:
Sleeping on your side, particularly your surgical side, will place the shoulder in a forward position. This is definitely not a good position for the shoulder to heal, and I have had many patients tell me that it made their pain worsen.
At this point, sleeping in a strange position could irritate it, but I highly doubt that you messed anything up. Rest for a few more days and see if it has improved.
Dan
Thanks Dan,
And thanks to Mr. Godfrey for the great article. I’ve rested it for a little over a week now, avoided sleeping on my repaired side, and I’m back to being pain-free with a full range-of-motion. Keep up the good work PhysioDC!
Hi Dan,
I had a slap repair 8/6, (this is my second time checking in with you on this site). My first post was about 4 weeks post op and right after my first day of pt. I was unable to do a ball exercise at the time but today that was successfully conquered. Things are moving along smoothly and I’d like to thank you for the encouragement you bring to us all. One quick question, now being 6 weeks out (and I’ve been doing this for almost 2 weeks now) is it okay that I’m sleeping on my stomach with my arm on the side of my body? It’s much easier for me to sleep this way than on my back. It causes me barely any discomfort but I don’t know if I’ve just been lucky so far. Also, I’ve had varying opinions on these next 2 questions: 1. Do you think I will be capable of throwing a baseball with a fair amount of velocity (55 mph) in March? And 2. Do you think it’s possible to be playing golf (even light swings) in November? That would be 3 months post op for golf and 7 months for baseball. Thanks again!
Casey:
I don’t see any problem with sleeping on your stomach like that, although it is not great for your neck given that you probably have to turn your head to one side.
Baseball throwing by March, if you stick to a gradual strengthening routine per your PT I would gather yes. Realize also that when you are cleared to start throwing you need to take baby steps. The first day of throwing should be obscenely slow and brief.
Light swing golf by November,,,,,,,,,,I am on the fence about that one. 3 months is still a bit early, although if you could be trusted to light swing only it is a possibility. Make sure that you are re-assessed by the PT and doc before you try it.
Dan
Had shoulder surgery Slap tear. 3 anchors placed in bone on Sept 5th. I am diabetic. I hurt all the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m never gonna get better. I’m in physical therapy 3 times a week. I’m doing the pendulum’s but when my arm is hanging it puts lots of pressure inside and feels like my shoulder is gonna pop outta place. I can’t ever get comfortable at night so sleeping is very touch. How long does a person stay outta work? I am a housekeeper. So I do quite a bit of cleaning at a furniture store.
Also an MRI in april on my neck showed c5 was bulging. I slipped and fell at work November 2011. In August an MRI w/contrast showed tore ligaments. But anyways since my fall my neck & shoulder has been in excruciating pain. But since surgery my neck has been hurting really really bad. Is this normal??
Hannah:
For the physical nature of your work, I would say that it would be wise to stay out of work for at least 10 weeks. Diabetes slows down healing considerably as well.
The neck injury can also very easily contribute to pain in the shoulder. I would make sure that the doc is giving you the right meds to “get over the hump”. Your neck may be bothering you more because your shoulder (when it is in a sling) is kept in a forward position, and this places stress on the neck. Try to keep your shoulder in a natural position when it is not in a sling.
It is still very early in your recovery Hannah, keep the range of motion light, and allow a good amount of rest.
I had my labrum, bone spur removal and cartilage repair surgery on September 20, 2011.
My shoulder still hurts worse than before the surgery! I’m kind of worried something is still wrong,
my range of motion is still not what it should be. The pain wasn’t so bad but it is now, I can hardly sleep and I can’t put any pressure on it or lift anything over ten pounds. What can I do?
Hi. First of all, I would like to thank you for getting back to me about my elbow back in the early summer.
Secondly, I just wanted to ask you a question, as a second opinion.
I recently had a labral repair / subacromial decompression operation on June 26th. I am at 13 weeks post op right now. I am 25 years old, in excellent physical condition (health/physical educator), and got my full range of motion back about 2 weeks ago. More recently, my post op protocol cleared to return to full exercise with the exclusion of shoulder press / bench press exercises.
I’ve noticed that during vertical abduction (once the arm reaches head to above head level) and during shoulder flexion (at about a 45 degree plain of scaption) that there is a “pop” / “click” sound. It happens almost every time. I asked my surgeon about it (who comes highly recommended as a sports surgeon) and he told me that often times, after surgery, a patient can hear a click or pop sound in the shoulder. He told me it’s most likely one of the sutures that he put in. He said if it doesn’t hurt, I have a full range of motion, than it’s better to not pursue looking into such matters.
In your professional opinion, what do you think it could be? Is it something I should be concerned about in the long haul? Any advice or insight that you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
– Adam
Adam:
Does it hurt? If it doesn’t I would not be overly concerned with it. The long head of the biceps can often make a clicking noise if it shifts over one of the tuberosities of the humerus bone. The supraspinatus (rotator cuff) tendon can do the same. Your anatomy has been slightly altered with the surgery, so slight alterations in the movement mechanics of your tendons are not uncommon.
You may also find that as you get stronger the clicking may subside, either way don’t freak out over it. Work on strengthening your scapular muscles and rotator cuff every week.
Dan
No it does not hurt. It just makes the pop / click noises when I move my shoulder through those motions. I thought, after the decompression and labral repair I wouldn’t be hearing those kind of noises because my shoulder was put back to a proper anatomical state.
It doesn’t hurt me so my surgeon told me not to worry about it. I appreciate you giving me your insight into it. I just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t something abnormal through my post op recovery.
– Adam
Jessica:
One year ago……. Is your shoulder weak? Have you seen the doctor lately? Has the pain been worsening over time?
Dan
Yes my shoulder is weak, and I’ve seen 2 doctors both said it seemed fine but neither one requested a MRI or X-ray. The pain is worse, I was in tears yesterday cause it hurt so bad and almost went to the er! What do you think I should do?
Certainly seeing a physical therapist (PT) or an osteopath (D.O.) would be helpful. I would want to see how your shoulder sits and what your strength and joint mobility look like.
Surgeons really are not that equipped to deal with biomechanical dysfunction. This is probably why you are getting the “run around”. Find a good PT or DO and listen to what they advise you.
I did 16 weeks of pt before the surgeon released me. He said I was fine but before the surgery he also told me I was crazy and there was nothing wrong with my shoulder to begin with. This was a workmens comp case and 4 days ago it closed so I can’t make them look at it again. I still was something is wrong, I will just have to see a different orthopedic surgeon I guess, and thanks for the help.
Hi,
I’m 3 weeks post op for a bankart repair and a capsular tightening…
I started taking my sling off about… 3/4 days after… and that was because there was NO pain. I’m aware that it can fool the patient into thinking that it’s ok to use, so I haven’t been overdoing it.
My main concern is probably paranoia… I’m just wondering what the strength of the sutures and anchors is like? and what sort of force it woudl take to tear them out? I had no trouble sleeping and didn’t use the post op meds at all… not out of principle, just because I didn’t need them at all.
The other day I was in an emergency situation where I had to jog around a fair bit… probably about a collective jogging distance of about 3km’s and this was 2 weeks and 3 days out fromt he operation. I kept my shoulder muscles activated to compress my joint so that it didn’t move around a lot but I read that you can damage it easily with jogging.
Wondering how right this is and what other diagnostic techniques there might be ahead of my appointment with my surgeron (next week)
At this point there’s an occasional nerve shot if I move suddenly and I sleep with the sling.. because I should. not because I Need to….
Thanks in advance and sorry about the long winded story :) :)
P.s. this is the most comprehensive site that has helped in regards to info and rehab expectations :)
Andrey:
You would have to fall and try to catch yourself with your surgical arm in order to jar those anchors loose. Another situation that I encountered was a patient who tried walking her 100 pound dog with the surgical arm 3 weeks post op. The dog “took off” on her and tractioned her arm through the leash so hard that she popped an anchor. The jogging thing would likely just irritate the shoulder a bit. It sounds like you were careful enough.
I highly doubt that the surgeon will want to MRI you or anything like that. Stick to your rehab protocol.
Dan
Should I be worried? I’ve been mostly out of the sling for almost a couple of weeks. I’m 3 weeks and 5 days postop now. I woke up with a VERY painful and stiff neck today. I was laying on my sofa with my sling off and tried to sit up. My neck hurt so bad supporting my head I reflexively attempted to reach up with both hands and grab head for support. My repaired arm only got so far before I felt a sharp pain in the bicep and shoulder. The anchor was put in at about 1:00 so it’s in the front of the shoulder where it’s pretty sore now. I’ve been back in the sling all day for comfort and am sore but am not in excruciating pain. I’ve only taken a single tramadol and a couple of aspiring today. My arm has a pain free range of motion up to 105* when assisted by a PT. I didn’t get anywhere near this with it before I felt pain in the bicep and shoulder. FWIW, I had no bicep involvement during surgery. It was fine.
Guy:
I wouldn’t worry about it. A sudden movement of the arm like that will likely just inflame the biceps tendon or labrum a bit. A re-tear would feel would manifest as constant intense pain that does not go away.
The neck is likely being irritated by your sleeping position and the sling. The sooner that you can sleep in a normal position and ditch the sling the less stress your neck will feel.
Dan
Hi,
I had bankart repair a week ago and today I tripped and fell and I’m a bit paranoid that I may have re injured myself. As I was falling I braced myself with my good arm, so it absorbed most of the impact. But I also managed to land on the bicep of the bad arm and bumped my head, but both were pretty light impacts. I was also in the sling and I don’t think I moved my bad arm at all and I’ve experienced no additional pain and its been a few hours.
I’m guessing I’m ok but I’m still a week from my follow up appointment and a bit concerned, can anyone at least tell me if a reinjury should cause increased pain? Or, is it possible to retear if the shoulder didnt move?
Thanks for your comments,
Chris
Chris:
If there is no additional pain associated with the fall you likely did not damage the surgery. Typically when a labral repair re-tears, there is a huge amount of pain that follows, both with small movements of the shoulder and while at rest. Having said that of course it is not a bad idea to have the doctor check it out.
Dan
Thanks for the quick reply, I’ll definitely mention it to my surgeon at the follow up as well,
Let me add my paranoia to the pile. I’m about six months out from a posterior labral repair. I’ll be honest that while I did PT twice a week for 4 months, I was less than stellar about getting my exercises done at home (1-2x a week).
About a month ago, I slowly started back into push-ups and pull-ups and started seriously slacking on my labral exercises. (Am I still supposed to be doing those?)
Two weeks ago, my shoulder started feeling a little looser but without any pain. Then, while doing a set of pull-ups I had a meaningful weird sensation. It wasn’t sharp and lasting pain, just a quasi-release of the shoulder. Hard to describe. It did feel like something that should make me stop doing pull-ups, so I did stop even though the pain wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t have done a few more,
Since then, though, I haven’t really been able to return to working out. I’ll rest for a few days, do a light set of push-ups, and then I’m left with pain in the rear of my shoulder. Could I have retorn the labrum? What’s my next step? At this point, am I still supposed to do the PT exercises? FWIW, my surgeon told me my tear was pretty minor.
Thanks so much for your help!
Will
Ps: Sorry to add more. I’ve also noticed an uptick in the “crackling” you described above. Up until those pull-ups, it had been gone, or at least I hadn’t noticed it.
I’m 26. 5’10”, 150.
I am over a year post operations of surgery. (July 2011) I had been doing fine. I am an advid bike rider, 10-20 a day. Or so I was until this past July when I had a bike wreck from swerving to avoid a vehicle. When serving to avoid the car, I collide full force into a pole. As hilarious as everyone else found this to be, the pole was a much better option than the moving vehicle. However, the impact with the pole was forceful enough that it ejected me off me off my bike to the left. As I came down, when I hit the ground, I braced my fall on my left hand….my arm/shoulder that I had surgery on, just one year ago at that time. I hit hard enough that upon impact, the force of my fall literally ejected the double knotted tennis shoes off my feet and come to find out I fractured a bone in my left hand right behind my thumb. I was in an air cast for four weeks. I am not sure at what point in time but not before this incident, my shoulder has been increasing in pain. It is back to popping at times when I am doing stuff with random motions, when I am driving, its sore to rest my arm on the inside door handle, I find myself tucking it into my body. Behind my shoulder, it burns. That’s where it is getting me the most…that pain has grown so much over the past month, it is to the point of tears at times. I am flat out afraid that I have torn my labrum again. It was not until I started surfing the net that I saw some statements that falls can cause tears….can such a fall retear my labrum. My surgeon told me after my surgery that I had a bad tear, worse than he expected when he went and that he used 3 anchors. Is it really possible that those anchors could be have been tore out or compromised?
Thanks for any input!
Kim (38 yrs)
Kim:
That accident sounded terrible. I am glad to hear that you are walking around again!
That level of trauma certainly has the potential to damage the labrum again, if I were you I would get the shoulder imaged (MRI). Go see the doc.
It sounds to me like you compressed the shoulder joint from the trauma of bracing your arm for impact. This would indeed place a lot of force on the posterior aspect of your shoulder. It is also feasible that you may have bruised the humerus bone. A bone bruise in my opinion would be preferable to a re-tear, but that type of pain usually sticks around for a very long time (3-6 months at least).
Dan
Will:
Let me go on the record first by saying that you should probably scrap doing pull-ups. Lat pull-downs would probably be much kinder to your shoulder. I would also recommend that you keep up with your rotator cuff and scapular stabilization exercises at least twice weekly. Your shoulder obviously has an unstable component, you need to make sure that the support muscles keep up.
Do the stabilization routine for a good 3-4 weeks, back off the hard core stuff. If you are still encountering the same amount of soreness after, visit the doc.
Dan
I just had a SLAP tear repaired last week. While sitting on a stool in my kitchen, part of the stool broke from under me. I jerked my arm down and back, while in my armsling, and the pain was extreme – felt like my shoulder was going to pop out of place. Could I have done something to the anchors? What are the signs if I re-injured or damaged the repair? Again, it has only been a week.
Thanks,
Scott
Scott:
This is a bit of a hard thing to predict, because the symptoms of a re-tear are disproportionate and constant pain in the shoulder with ALL activities.
Because you are only a week out of surgery, it is actually quite normal to have pain with everything because all of your shoulder is still inflamed. I would guess that your pain level will be increased because of the stool incident, but my guess would be that your sling probably saved you.
Ice the heck out of it and obviously let the doctor know what happened.
Dan
I had a SLAP repair done on june 5th and just finished PT this week. i’m pain free within a safe zone. Reaching across over my body, forward past 90 agrees (flexion) and out past 90 degrees (abduction), i notice a slight bit of pain on lift, then it clears and comes back around 90 + degrees. My shoulder also compensates near peak of the rotation. When i told my PT about still having slight occasional joint pain with use, they said it was probably a tight capsule, and this would slowly go away. I’m 4.5 months post op… is this normal and will it go away?
RJ
Yes, it is normal, and yes, it will likely decrease over the next few months. My guess is that your rotator cuff strength is still probably slightly off.
The motions that you are describing are common problem areas when the rotator cuff muscles are having a difficult time stabilizing your shoulder joint. Make sure that you have a good rotator cuff and scapular stabilizer routine from your PT!
Dan
Dan,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. You’ve answered my questions more concisely in one day than my own PT did in a 3 month period.
Now that I’m out of therapy, are there any specific exercises that you would recommend to focus on these rotator cuff and scap stabilizers? I’m afraid my PT didn’t really focus on those when he gave me my discharge home exercise program.
Thank you.
RJ
Hi
I just find out i have a slap tear beginning at the biceps anchor and extending poster to the 9:00 position with gadolinium insinuating into the labral substance and as well into the chondrolabral junction. What does this all mean and what do they do for this.
Thank you
PJ
PJ
The labrum is a cartilage “ring” that surrounds the socket portion of the shoulder: think of it as a clock with the corresponding numbers on the clock in their usual places. The biceps attaches to the very top of the labrum, or at 12 o’clock. The insertion of the biceps has partially pulled the ring off of the socket, and it also sounds like the “pull off” extended posteriorly.
If you look at the illustration in the labral tear article above, the “B” diagram is actually quite similar to your tear. (See how that top part, or 12 o’clock, is pulled off?)
The latter part of what you describe (chondro-labral junction) is describing how much of the actual ring has pulled off.
Does this help??
Thank you very much for the fast reply .I now understand it a lot better. How does this heal or does it need surgery?
Pat it is my understanding that these types of tears do not “heal”. The inflammation and pain will certainly subside over time, but I think that if you try doing things that are athletic (throwing, pull ups, military style presses etc.) you are likely to feel some pain.
Certain orthopedic surgeons are very good at repairing these types of tears. I would always try to rehabilitate the shoulder prior to doing any type of surgery. Once the inflammation and pain are under control, start some rotator cuff and scapular stabilization exercises. Ask a PT for some exercises if you have no idea where to start.
You are always welcome to check out some of the shoulder exericses on our media tab (ask your doctor first). The password to get in is “patient”. I would start with “isometrics”.
Dan
Wow! I’m glad I found this blog. Here’s my labrum story. I had a posterior slap tear repaired July 16. It was a significant tear that required 4 anchors. I began PT immediately and after 2 months the doctor cleared me to resume normal activities within reason. He said just to use pain as my guide. He said there was no need to “baby” it. So I decided to try throwing a football. Big mistake. A few throws brought a lot of pain so I stopped.
For three days afterward I had deep, aching pain in the shoulder. For the last few weeks I’ve had shoulder and bicep pain especially when I raise my arm above my head. Often when sitting still I notice a burning sensation in the front of the shoulder, and even holding my IPad in front of me right now brings light pain where the repair was. I may be paranoid, but I’m concerned of a retear.
I called the doctor. He has me on methylcortozolone for the next week to help with inflammation. Any thoughts? Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Bryant:
Throwing a football after 2 months? That is a bit lofty, but the doc obviously felt confident that the anchors where solid. The protocol that we use is active ranges of motion after 7-8 weeks, then light resistance after about 10-12 weeks.
Having said that, you probably have some inflammation in the biceps tendon from your throwing. Take it easy for a good week or two. I doubt that you re-tore the labrum. Lots of ice, and gentle ranges of motion are a good idea also.
Once the pain has subsided, make sure that you have a good rotator cuff and scapular routine from your PT to follow on a weekly basis.
Dan
Hi All,
I am glad i found this blog about rotator cuff tears.. I just had an extensive repair with 5 anchors. I just arrived home after my first PT outing. I got out of the car and was talking on my cell with a customer with my good hand/arm and then a wasp tried to land on my left (surgery) arm and my natural reaction was to swat the bug away so it would not land on my arm. Well, as i made the motion I heard a “POP” come from my shoulder and then intense pain. The intense pain subsided within a few minutes but then I also felt a little tension release in my arm? My arm has been in pain since that time on Thursday evening. I will see my Dr on Tues as he is out of town.. what to do?
Jim
Jim:
I would run your story by the doctor and see what he or she thinks. In the mean time I would ice it a bit and try to keep it from moving too much.
It could have just been a bit of scar tissue popping, but better to check it with the doc.
Dan
thank you Dan, I will see him tomorrow and follow up
Hi, I had posterior bony bankart shoulder repair end of June this year Had 4 anchors
Have been doing really well. I had a seizure which is new for me. I fell off the couch onto a
carpeted floor on my surgical shoulder during the seizure and my arms were outstreched in front of
me with my hands almost together waist height. I had pain in my shoulder for 1 week following and
I went to physio today and tried to do a modified pushup and it felt like my shoulder got stuck and then I came home and took my shirt off and it did it again. I wasnt having any of these issues before this
happened. Also I noticed some burning during the week it was getting better. Is it possible I could
have torn it again
Kelly:
My understanding of seizures is that they cause rather violent and sustained muscle contractions. This could cause some labral or tendon damage, although it sounds to me like you were far enough removed from surgery to allow adequate healing and strengthening. I would have been more concerned if you had the seizure two weeks after the surgery.
I would give it a few weeks of avoiding any heavy exercise. See how it is after that. If you are still having those symptoms I would check in with the doctor just to be safe.
Dan
I had a labrum repair on October 4th. On October 15th, I was getting into my car and did not have my sling on because I drive without it (though I do not use my operated-on arm to drive). I absentmindedly reached and somehow succeeded in grabbing the car door and pulling it toward me to shut the door because I just wasn’t thinking. I felt an extreme pain in the front of my shoulder (probably where it was re-attached) for about 30 seconds, and then it was gone and haven’t had any pain since.
I also used both hands to put my hair up beginning on Tuesday.
My surgeon did not give me a list of “What Not to Do” and I read up on it today after worrying about it and now found out I should not have been putting up my hair and obviously know I shouldn’t have pulled the car door shut (absentmindedness).
Should I get an MRI to see if I did damage to the repair?.
Do you think I may have re-torn the repair? I am extremely worried. My surgeon is out of the country right now.
Caley:
I would not recommend driving without your sling for the first month following your type of surgery. From what you are describing it sounds like you merely irritated the joint, re-tears usually involve a lot of pain that does not go away when you are resting.
You certainly need to touch base with the doc and get specific instruction as to when you should be wearing your sling. Take it easy for the first month: no reaching, grabbing, or otherwise lifting your arm. Most docs will also recommend that you wear the sling when you sleep.
I wouldn’t freak out about getting an MRI right now. Wait until the doc is available to talk to you and be careful in the mean time.
Dan
Hi,
So I had labrum repair surgery two weeks ago. I still have a slight tingly sensation in my (under) forearm — basically where my arm rests on the sling. For the first 6 days I never took my arm out of the sling. I then did, and straightened my elbow numerous times to get some blood flowing. And since then, I have been doing very basic elbow stretches throughout the day, but I still have that minor tingly sensation as mentioned. What are your thoughts on this??
Thanks,
Ed
Ed:
When the elbow is kept in a bent position for long periods of time it is possible for one or more of the nerves in the arm to get irritated. I would make sure that the doctor knows this, and it is a good idea to spend time out of the brace and allow the elbow to straighten. Try to keep your elbow from bending more than ninety (90) degrees in the mean time.
The doc or a PT may be able to adjust the sling until such a time that you don’t need it anymore.
Dan
okay, thanks so much for your quick reply! PT starts next week. I’m excited to get that going. E
Hi Dan,
I had capsular shift surgery, not a labral tear, but I was hoping you could still answer my question. I had my surgery 5 weeks ago (6 sutures to tighten my capsule) and was instructed to do nothing but elbow and wrist exercise for the first 4 weeks while in my sling. Right at 4 weeks, I was instructed by my surgeon to reach upward (active range of motion) and hold when I felt a stretch, 5 times a day.
I was fine for the first couple days of this, but after 5 days of active movement 5 times a day, I have a lot of pain deep in the front of my shoulder where the repair was and am worried I might have overstretched myself and ruined the repair. I was told to stop doing any shoulder stretching and stay in the sling for 2 more weeks and then resume the stretches again. I had no pain or very little pain before starting the stretching. I stopped doing the exercises 4 days ago and the pain has subsided, but is still much more painful than it was before I started the stretching.
Could I have done any damage or compromised the repair? Thank you for your help. Also, what is easier to recover from in general? A labral tear surgery or a capsular shift. It seems like my surgeon is progressing me faster than he would a labral tear patient.
JP
I doubt that you ruined the surgery given that you had 4 weeks of immobilization. It does sound to me though like you were doing quite a bit of stretching (5 times a day??).
Pare down the frequency of the stretching, maybe 1 or 2 times daily once you have the OK from the doc to start up again. I would also modulate the “intensity” of the stretching that you are doing. It should feel like a stretch, but it shouldn’t feel like you are ripping your arm off.
Dan
Hello!
Thanks for the website, it’s been a great help!
I had a couple of questions. The first is that my surgeon gave my PT a protocol to follow, but when I went in for my 4 week check up he said that my ROM wasn’t where they wanted, so they wanted the PT to speed up. Basically I had been doing passive range of motion before, and today I went in to PT and they had me moving my arm (with support from my other arm) up, even above my head, and shifting weight to my arm when leaning on it. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t too soon (4 weeks after surgery) to be putting weight on my arm and moving my arm above my shoulders.
Also generally when is it ok to run? do ab crunches? etc… I’ve been really cautious so far and I get nervous at the doctor and forget to ask these things..
Thanks!
Alex:
Generally speaking, the first four weeks are for passive range of motion only. Weeks four through eight are genrally designated “active assisted ranges of motion”, demonstrated when your PT is helping you move the arm, but you are moving it with your muscle control as well. Moving the arm to above shoulder level should be done with assistance at your stage or rehab. Development of strength comes gradually, and doing that without assist is too much pressure on tendons that are already weak.
In terms of shifting weight on to your arm, I am assuming that you are talking about having your hand on a fixed surface like a table? If the doctor ok’d this it is probably fine, I would just keep it on the “light pressure” scale.
Jogging does cause a lot of jarring in the shoudler: I would wait until at least 8-10 weeks post operative to perform a slow jog. You aren’t in any particular danger of re-tearing, but you certainly could irritate the joint line.
Abdominal crunches are probably fine as long as you keep the hands folded on your chest.
Dan
i had my surgery oct 4, 2012 and i swear i had no idea it would be this painful. i fell off a rock at a waterfall and used my arm to break the fall and i dislocated my shoulder. i have been doing my physical therapy and its hard. i seem to been in a lot of pain at night time and when its cold outside my arm kills me. then to top it off, the pain medicine gives me nightmares. i was on percocet and then they changed it to vicodin. now im on ultram and i will see how it works. i got to 90 degrees today but i felt like they pushed me to the limit. and my arm has been killing me since i got home. reading everyone else’s stories is really helping me and i know i still have a long road ahead of me. any suggestions are greatly welcomed. the spasms are the worse.
Pam T:
It sounds like you really traumatized your shoulder with that fall. A dislocation followed by a surgery will take quite a while to recover from. Double traumas like that will also very often result in a shoulder that tightens and remains painful for months after the surgery.
Ask your doctor if he or she thinks that there is a possibility that you have developed a “frozen shoulder” as a result of all of this trauma. Regardless, I would stick to light stretching under the direction of the PT and the doc.
Ice in the earlier phases of rehab can help a lot also!
Dan
yes he said that i had frozen shoulder. i also dislocated my shoulder 23 yrs ago and he said that my problem started from that. i thought everything was fine because i never had any problems. i fell on june 13 and it slowly got worse. i had to wait for my insurance to kick in and oct 4 is when i did the surgery. so the fall juat made it worse on top of damage from 23 yrs ago. is it normal for the cold to affect the pain in my shoulder? i just want to be able to sleep in my bed and be comfortable. i have been on the couch for a month now. thank you for your answers. i find you to be quite informative.
Pam:
It sounds to me as if you are in the earlier stages of a frozen shoulder. Typically a frozen shoulder will cause quite a bit of pain, even with small movements, for several months. This pain will subside, and it is usually followed by shoulder stiffness and lack of range of motion.
On another note, your shoulder’s “capsule” is sensitive to changes in the weather. When barometric pressure changes with the weather, your shoulder may let you know it.
It sounds to me like your doc needs to figure out what medication will work best for you in order to get you through the painful phase of this frozen shoulder. That should help a lot.
Dan
im currently on ultram and i havent had any bad dreams. i was in pain everyday for 3 months and i had limited rom prior to the surgery. im dealing with pain pretty good i think. im a month post op and i swear it seems like its going to take forever for me to be whole again. this has taught me to be real careful at my photo shoots. i will keep you informed of my progress and if i have any more questions, i will be hitting you back. thank you so much.
I originally wrote on October 13 in regard to my concern over a retear of the labrum. At that time I had post op shoulder pain from trying to throw a football. The doctor had placed me on medication for inflammation, which did seem to help for a couple of weeks. However, since then the pain has returned though I have rested it. Two days ago I had shooting pains through my arm with the slightest movements. Since then I have had lots of popping and grinding sounds, especially when I hold my arm up and rotate the shoulder in an arm wrestling motion. The pain is throughout the shoulder (front and back), and it feels unstable even as I just walk around. The original surgery was in mid July. Thanks for any thoughts you have.
Bryant:
Time to see the PT or the doc and report your findings. He / she may want to image it again to see what is going on.
Dan
Agreed. I have called now to make an appointment. So, its safe to assume that the popping and pain that I currently feel is not normal for this stage in my recovery huh? Thanks for all of your help.
Bryant
Hi Dan. Been reading a lot of articles on the Internet and trying to find information about SLAP Tear Surgery since my surgeon and his assistant don’t seem to give me exact details on the surgery or the stages of my therapy. I had a SLAP Tear repair (they don’t say how bad) and Capsular Release on October 4th, 2012, and they had me start PT the next morning. As of this past Thursday the 8th my PT said that I have reached my goals in regaining Range of Motion, and for the past week have been doing some isometrics. He said I will be starting light exercise band exercises this week. It will be 6 weeks this Thursday since my surgery, and 80% of the time, my shoulder feels good.
I am a sophomore in High Schol, play baseball, used to be a pitcher, and gained this injury over the summer. I went to a specialist at the start of July, and no doctor could specify why my shoulder was getting tighter and more painful. Over the 3 months between first visit and surgery, no doctor, no MRI and no XRay ever brought up the notion of a SLAP Tear, until going under the knife with arthroscopic surgery. To say the least, it has been a very frustrating 5 months, though I haven’t shown it to anyone.
As a result of 3 months wasted time, my surgeon told me that it would be 3-4 months from surgery date until I could do anything baseball related, but looking around on sites, I have seen dates from 2 months to 1 year before sports comes into the post-op picture. The main reason I am typing this is to ask you what your opinion of the whole situation is, since at this point it looks like Spring baseball is out of the picture. What time period should I feel comfortable to throw a baseball again, and not be afraid of reinjuring my shoulder? What else could you tell me that I can’t learn from the Internet or from my surgeon about SLAP Tears?
Lastly, the one thing I have found looking around is that this type of surgery is the “death of a baseball player,” and less than 50% return to action and barely anyone returns to pre-surgery form. I have given up pitching to save my arm, and am a middle infielder also. Should I ever expect to be close to where I was before throwing, and what affect will 7+ months of no baseball do to me?
Thanks for all of your answers and info you can give me. I have been looking for months for answers that no one seems to be able to answer, and anything you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Ryan:
Your situation is a bit uncommon. It sounds as if your shoulder capsule became tight as a result of the SLAP tear injury. The tightness in the shoulder may persist for many months to come, and this may indeed slow down your rehab. We just wrote an article on the website on “frozen shoulders”. You may find it useful as it sounds like you have one.
My guess is that because you have 2 things going on here at the same time, it will take a significant amount of time to rehab. I would not try to throw until at least 4 months post-op. It also goes without saying that you should have guided PT throughout all of this. You need to make sure that your range of motion comes back, AND you need to have good rotator cuff and scapular strength before you perform some basic throws.
Dan
Hello again Dan,
Thanks for your advice. The only other question I have is, would it benefit me in any way to get one of those shoulder braces or support sleeves? My PT said that it is more of a psychological thing and it might take away some range of motion if I used it in games. I was wondering about your take on getting a shoulder brace/support for playing, or just in general.
Thanks again.
Ryan
Ryan I would have to see a pic of the sleeve to tell you what I think. i am not 100% sure what you are talking about (there are lots of things out there). A sleeve might apply a bit of compression and stability that may allow you to throw with more confidence.
If you have a link to a pic of the brace send it to me and I will tell you what I think.
Dan
The one I am looking at the most seriously is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/McDavid-Lightweight-Shoulder-Support-Medium/dp/B002ZB6M0Y/
The other type of brace, which is a lot more heavy duty, is kind of like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/EVS-Sports-Shoulder-Brace-Medium/dp/B005MJYTYC/
Ryan I would opt for the first one. Less is better, especialy if you are going to be playing baseball. The heavy duty one will make it too difficult to throw.
I wouldn’t wear it al lthe time though, it will take over the job of the stabilizing muscles and thus make them weaker.
Dan
Hi Dan,
I had an arthroscopic shoulder surgery in mid july for a bankart/ labral tear. The injury was due to catching a fall, however the shoulder never popped out of its socket. I have been going to pt for almost 3 months and I am about to be dismissed. However, I still feel clicking in my lower scapula whenever I do scapula exercises that requires squeezing, dull ache in the shoulder blade, and whenever i rotate my arm, my front deltoid moves. My pt keeps telling me it will go away in time, however it has been 3 months and I am already getting dismissed.
Can you please let me know if this is normal for the recovery process?
Chris:
If the muscles that surround and control your shoulder blade are a little bit weak, the underside of the shoulder blade can make irregular contact with your ribs. This can cause the “clicking” sensation that you describe.
3 months is still relatively recent, it is not at all uncommon for you to feel this at this point in your recovery. Focus on strengthening your shoulder blade muscles several times weekly! If you don’t have a good routine, call your PT back and ask for one, I am sure that he / she will oblige.
If the clicking is still present 7-8 months after surgery, I would consult the doc.
Dan
Day 3 post op left shoulder labrum tear with only two anchors. Surgeon says my the bone is quite worn from repetitive weight lifting (54 in excellent shape…or at least I was). Very sore and extremely stiff and it appears long fought muscle goes so fast at this age post surgery. Reading the above comments it reinforces why I finally deciding to have the surgery. ….I had to resolve to the fact I would 1) lose most of the lean body I have worked so many years to get to and 2) I am prepared mentally that I will not reach my break even point until 9 to 12 months. I do plan on quickly shifting focus to cardio ( day 3 post op I used my wife’s home Elliptical to break a sweat (in my sling of course and nothing fast). I plan on a strong regimen of Vitamins C, E, Fish oil, Glucosamine with MSM, Glutomine and BCAA powder mixed with workout water (again, just using the Elliptical staying in a sling) as BCAAs are known to help regenerate new muscle fibers, I am also continuing to drink a Nitride Oxide pre workout drink…..not so much for the usual “extra pump and energy” but for the improved blood flow to the rebuilding muscles for what I hope will be a speedier rebuild and recovery. Last….don’t stop Whey protein post workout during the day and Casein protein at night. I believe 50% is mental and figuring out how to change things up for slow healing injuries. Time will tell and I will let this site know.
Omar:
Sleeping discomfort like you have just described is extremely common for the first 4-6 weeks. Given that you also had the Hill Sachs lesion, I would gather that it will take longer to normalize.
You might try placing a pillow that goes under your elbow and drapes on to your stomach area. Rest your elbow and hand on it as you try to sleep. This maximizes the blood perfusion into the tissue. (I will put a picture of it up on our Facebook page hopefully this weekend. Take a look at it so it makes sense.
Ice is your friend, especially during the first 6 weeks. I would also discuss pharmaceutical options with your MD. Some people experience little relief from certain medications, and experience much better results with others.
Dan
Thank you Dan, i’ll check it out.
Omar
Hey Nathan:
Spasm in the shoulder 2 weeks post operative is quite normal, especially because you had more than the average number of anchors put in place. I am assuming that you are also wearing a sling? This is a necessary evil: it will keep you from yanking the anchors, but it will put your shoulder in a forward position and this generally causes some pain.
The grinding might just be your tendons moving over the little boney ridges in the shoulder when you move. WHen there is swelling in the joint there tends to be some minor adjustments that the tendons have to make in order to move. I wouldn’t worry about them at this phase. Bring it up to the doctor when you see him/her just to be safe.
Dan
Thank you Dan, that eases my mind now. And you are correct, im in a sling for four more weeks. It’s just annoying, the process. Plus I’ve never had a serious injury that knocked me out for whole wrestling season. I also forgot to mention in my previous post that the only thing that was holding my shoulder together was my deltoid. My doctor told my dad that if it wasn’t for my deltoid being so strong, he would have been doing a shoulder replacement instead of repairing my labrum. But, once again, thank you for the response. It helped. Nathan