Torn Labrum recovery?

[MrKleen73]

Hello everyone. Rather than jacking someone elses thread on a shoulder injury I thought I would start my own. I am experiencing some soreness and pains that I am not sure if they are normal during recovery from the SLAP surgery. My surgeon was not as informative as I would have liked, although his bios listed him as highly recommended. I was also not put into any kind of formal rehab he just gave me some rotator cuff exercises to do and sent me on my way. He told me I had recovered well enough that I didn't need therapy because I had a good range of motion. Unfortunately I just changed jobs recently and my new insurance will not cover anything for my shoulder until later this year as it is a pre-existing condition. So I can't really go in and have it checked out until this summer. I thought I could ask a few questions here with all the hard trainers we have and get a feel for if what I am experiencing is "normal." I say that in quotes because none of us are normal, we push ourselves much harder than anything considered normal so I will benefit more from others experiences here more than talking to someone who doesn't understand a true lifters drive.

How long ago did you have your surgery? How long before the soreness went away or is it still pretty sore at times? Can you sleep on it? Do you need to ice it down after lifting? How long do I need to wait before starting to go heavier? I mean if I am always going to have soreness when do I decide to just go ahead and hit it hard? I had mine in August and it is still pretty sore when I lift a little heavy, and also when I move it certain ways. It makes me want to lay off but I don't want to stop due to being overly cautious. It gets pretty rough when the cold weather hits and living here in Texas the barometric pressure changes as often as people change drawers. Jumping from 30's to 70's to 40' to 80's it is like a friggin never ending swell fest. So I can't wait for winter to be over. Anyway just looking for a little bit of other peoples experience. Something to try to gauge where I am at and what to expect over the course of the next year. I have one other lifter friend who had the surgery and he told me I will be sore easily for at least a year after and just to keep training with light weights. That I would be breaking up scar tissue for the first year and it wont feel good. I guess I am just hoping this is normal since I really can't go talk to the doc about it yet. So anything anyone can tell me would be great.

Thanks in advance for anyones input and support.

[BradleyS]

Hello everyone. Rather than jacking someone elses thread on a shoulder injury I thought I would start my own. I am experiencing some soreness and pains that I am not sure if they are normal during recovery from the SLAP surgery. My surgeon was not as informative as I would have liked, although his bios listed him as highly recommended. I was also not put into any kind of formal rehab he just gave me some rotator cuff exercises to do and sent me on my way. He told me I had recovered well enough that I didn't need therapy because I had a good range of motion. Unfortunately I just changed jobs recently and my new insurance will not cover anything for my shoulder until later this year as it is a pre-existing condition. So I can't really go in and have it checked out until this summer. I thought I could ask a few questions here with all the hard trainers we have and get a feel for if what I am experiencing is "normal." I say that in quotes because none of us are normal, we push ourselves much harder than anything considered normal so I will benefit more from others experiences here more than talking to someone who doesn't understand a true lifters drive.

How long ago did you have your surgery? How long before the soreness went away or is it still pretty sore at times? Can you sleep on it? Do you need to ice it down after lifting? How long do I need to wait before starting to go heavier? I mean if I am always going to have soreness when do I decide to just go ahead and hit it hard? I had mine in August and it is still pretty sore when I lift a little heavy, and also when I move it certain ways. It makes me want to lay off but I don't want to stop due to being overly cautious. It gets pretty rough when the cold weather hits and living here in Texas the barometric pressure changes as often as people change drawers. Jumping from 30's to 70's to 40' to 80's it is like a friggin never ending swell fest. So I can't wait for winter to be over. Anyway just looking for a little bit of other peoples experience. Something to try to gauge where I am at and what to expect over the course of the next year. I have one other lifter friend who had the surgery and he told me I will be sore easily for at least a year after and just to keep training with light weights. That I would be breaking up scar tissue for the first year and it wont feel good. I guess I am just hoping this is normal since I really can't go talk to the doc about it yet. So anything anyone can tell me would be great.

Thanks in advance for anyones input and support.

wow...sounds like a great surgeon.

You had yours in August you say?

As a general rule of thumb, here is the timeline to follow:

6 weeks after surgery - completely out of sling
8 weeks after surgery - begin physical therapy and stretch to regain ROM
12 weeks after surgery - LIGHT LIGHT weight lifting, assuming you have all your motion back
24 weeks after surgery - free to do whatever.

You have all your ROM back? how did that happen? Did he clear you to lift? Yeah, you will be sore for a while especially after the 12 week mark when you are alllowed to do pushups again. I am 6 months out on my left shoulder and 3 months out on my right. I can sleep on both sides (but I sleep on my back), can prop myself up with my elbows, have full ROM, etc.

You need to lay off of it and keep with shoulder exercises, they help a tremendous amount. Do you have therabands? what colors?

what kind of pain do you feel? The PT bumped me up into some harder exercises yesterday (medball pushups, throwing exercises, etc) and my shoulders are slightly sore today.

The scar tissue breakup is typically the snapping sensation you experience when you start PT and start stretching to regain your ROM. Did you not experience that?

[ScoobyDrew]

How long ago did you have your surgery? - Had mine back in October of 2006. (labrum and rotator cuff clean up)
How long before the soreness went away or is it still pretty sore at times? The dull ache took about a month to go away.
Can you sleep on it? It took about two months for me to sleep on it without pain.
Do you need to ice it down after lifting? I don't have a need to ice it at the moment. I've been relatively pain free since June 2007.
How long do I need to wait before starting to go heavier? Once I was cleared to lift, I slowly made my way back up to heavy weights. I was though recommended to not do any overhead presses or where my elbow passes the plane of my body. I followed those instructions for a while and have since resumed smith overhead pressing and lighter benching. Really only excercise that irritates it is squating. Just a movement where my shoulder is put into a position it isn't ready to full do.
I mean if I am always going to have soreness when do I decide to just go ahead and hit it hard? Really only you (and your doctor/physical therapist) can answer.

[deadlift1]

I just had labrum surgery on december 21. still have the dull ache and it gets pretty sore sleeping. i have not started therapy yet but when i asked the doctor about lifting she said after 4 months i should be good. i was assuming that was a modest estimate but i also do not want to rush anything.

[MrKleen73]

I got the surgery on Aug 4 2007 to repair a front and rear side larbum tear also had a large cyst that had to be cut out and then the labrum stitched back together. At 3 weeks doc had me start doing plyometrics standing against the wall and pushing against it with my elbow from the front side and rear, and also placing wrist against the wall or door jam and doing exrnal and internal rotation well without actually moving.

At 6 weeks he checked my strenght and had me start trying to move through range of motion. I had a full rage of motion almost immediately. At 8 weeks I went back in for a check up and showed him I had pretty much a full range of motion, he gave me a shoulder work out that he said I could do with light weights but did not specify what light was. He said that I could "go at it full force" once I hit 16 weeks.

At about 19 weeks I found myself doing 85 lbs incline dumbell bench, and felt ok. I got pretty sore but nothing too bad. Later that week I did some squats with about 285 and the pressure this put on my shoulder made it really start to get sore. I took a week of and swore of back squats for a bit, but a week later was putting 95Lbs bar up on the squat rack after some barbell rows, in basically a snatch type of movement felt some pain and the next day my shoulder was really sore. I took another couple weeks off of the weights and also didn't do my rotator cuff stuff because the rotation seemed to aggrivate it.

I think I may have sprained the infraspinatus or something because it feels pretty tight and twingy now when I do that movement (rotating externally while upper urm is parralel to the floor and hands go perpendicular) and the joint feels sore and swollen when trying to do my rotator cuff stuff now. I do feel the crackling and popping now in my shoulder that makes me think that the scar tissue probably started building up during the total inactivity. Also now when I do curls I feel a tingly twinge at the back of my shoulder not sure if this is something I may have pulled or just a muscle or tendon that shortened during the period I did not train. It looks like I got started on the weight training heavy about 8 weeks to early from the time tables you have listed. Unfortunately I was never prescribed any true rehab therapy, and never was given bands. I do my rotator cuff exercises with a 3 and 5 pound dumbells. Like I said I can't really go to a doctor for a check up on this thing yet either.
I can sleep on my side but I can not sleep with my arm extended to the side or above my head any more. My shoulder still feels stiff and I wonder if I have done any damage or if I just have typical soreness associated with exercising through the rehab. I have also "rolled" in my MMA class with out too many problems so I may just be expecting too much too soon from recovery and lack of soreness.

[aaronstamp]

Had A bankart repair Jan 28. 09' for capsule labrul reconsturction on my right shoulder. Wrestling injury.. I'm 1 day past 11 weeks, when will I be able to do bicep/back work.. more specifically a 3 set deal of pull ups? I'm reading it took you 19 weeks to be able to do barbell incline.. but how long until basic back/bicep work? Doc originally said 12 weeks good to go but the therapist changes his mind about me every day.. I think because I go 3x a week and pay a large co-pay each time haha.. I have full range, had it for a while, but still experience what you called the "nervous feeling" when the arm is left out..
Just want to know how you coped with it/ what you were able to do at around the 12 week mark

[denverizzles]

wow 6 weeks in a sling? i dont know if i could do that?

my recovery time line so far has been

week 1 - completely out of sling

week 3 - i can sleep on my side. (opp side of injured shoulder)

week 5 - minor aches when trying to do too much

current week 6ish - waiting for monday so that the doctor can tell me im good to start rehab.

[lilwrestler94]

Had A bankart repair Jan 28. 09' for capsule labrul reconsturction on my right shoulder. Wrestling injury.. I'm 1 day past 11 weeks, when will I be able to do bicep/back work.. more specifically a 3 set deal of pull ups? I'm reading it took you 19 weeks to be able to do barbell incline.. but how long until basic back/bicep work? Doc originally said 12 weeks good to go but the therapist changes his mind about me every day.. I think because I go 3x a week and pay a large co-pay each time haha.. I have full range, had it for a while, but still experience what you called the "nervous feeling" when the arm is left out..
Just want to know how you coped with it/ what you were able to do at around the 12 week mark

I have to have the surgery too. i injured my shoulder wrestling a while back. Ijust want to know if you were able to wrestle after you had your surgery?

[semms95]

i see some of u talking about torn labrums....my doc said i had a very slight tear and it shouldnt be ny pain causing thing...so im just wondering what time of pain was it for u guys that have had a torn labrum...is it like a pop in it out thing..sorness feeling..sharp like a knife just like some infro please

[ryanbataille]

i see some of u talking about torn labrums....my doc said i had a very slight tear and it shouldnt be ny pain causing thing...so im just wondering what time of pain was it for u guys that have had a torn labrum...is it like a pop in it out thing..sorness feeling..sharp like a knife just like some infro please

I dislocated my shoulder on Jan 2nd, was diagnosed with a fully torn labrum in the SLAP region on Feb 1st, and have scheduled orthoscopic surgery for February 25th. I can tell you that the pain is dulling and uncomfortable when you sleep but can also be very sharp at times if you move the wrong way.

I'm an active person so for anyone in the know, is surgery definitely something I should do or could I still lift/play sports if I opted not to have surgery? Sucks not even being able to do a push up or pull up...

[mslman71]

i see some of u talking about torn labrums....my doc said i had a very slight tear and it shouldnt be ny pain causing thing...so im just wondering what time of pain was it for u guys that have had a torn labrum...is it like a pop in it out thing..sorness feeling..sharp like a knife just like some infro please

Most weight lifters and otherwise active folks end up with some degree of fraying and tearing of the labrum over time. Crunching, popping, catching, etc. are all pretty common with it. I'm not sure what "slight" means. Was that a diagnosis made by inspection/manipulation, by MRI, by MRI + contrast? Did you dislocate your shoulder in the past? Do you have any shoulder stability problems?

The pain can be nothing, can be short, can last a while, can last forever, or depending on the nature of the tear, lead to other problems.

[damayne52]

You seem to know what your talking about. I had labrum surgery on August 1 so I am 3 months out and I still do not have full ROM behind my back for sure and slightly above my head and I have some paint when trying to get that motion back. I was wondering if the pain on the back of my shoulder and the front when I do wall push-ups with go away? Also, when i do front raised with just 3lbs the front of my shoulder can barely get the weight up. Am I behind schedual? Will I every get full ROM back? Will I be able to get back into lifting again?

[Smashiin]

today makes 12 weeks since i had surgery on my labrum on my right side. first day of weight rehab and i overdid it. hurts a bit but took some meds and some herbs

anyway, i bought 2lb dumbbells and using them to rehab my shoulder further. did 180 reps all together today. definitely gonna do a lot less and become very cautious in what i do.

[davorkat]

Hey guys, I'd appreciate any input on my situation but anyways I was diagnosed with a SLAP tear but as far as weights go it never really hurts. It's not effecting how heavy I can go but if anything it has a little effect on my volume. Would you guys recommend getting surgery and coming back hopefully 100%, or manage my split, volume and so on with the tear that I have? Thanks.

[schweefy]

Hey guys, I'd appreciate any input on my situation but anyways I was diagnosed with a SLAP tear but as far as weights go it never really hurts. It's not effecting how heavy I can go but if anything it has a little effect on my volume. Would you guys recommend getting surgery and coming back hopefully 100%, or manage my split, volume and so on with the tear that I have? Thanks.

If it's not affecting your quality of life then I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. i.e. if it's only impacting volume and you're not hurting then leave it alone, imo. I would also be careful with certain lifts. How did you come to find out you have a tear?

[Sinaku5]

If it's not affecting your quality of life then I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. i.e. if it's only impacting volume and you're not hurting then leave it alone, imo. I would also be careful with certain lifts. How did you come to find out you have a tear?

This guy has the right idea. Listen to this.

I have a torn labrum right now and I was so anxious to get it fixed. The doctor essentially told me, if its not affecting me currently then theres no point to getting surgery now vs getting it 40 years down the road when it may have a chance to affect me due to other factors.

Take a look at my log if you want to see how I'm progressing with my torn labrum.

[SenecaG]

I wrestle and tore my labrum and am wondering if I should get surgery. If I get the surgery will I be able to wrestle again.

[HammZ]

I wrestle and tore my labrum and am wondering if I should get surgery. If I get the surgery will I be able to wrestle again.

Hey buddy, I'm almost 4 weeks post op from labrum surgery. I'll tell you my experience with it.

Suffered a posterior labrum tear in my left shoulder on November 2nd, got hit very lightly in a hockey game but apparently enough to detach the cartilage. Took awhile to get an MRI and get the diagnosis but when I finally got the diagnosis some time earlier in January I was fed up with my results in PT and wanted to get this done with. After the surgery my surgeon told me that I definitely needed the surgery, that the injury would not have healed on it's own.

There are times that the labrum can heal, but you're not getting blood flow up there so a lot of times it won't. There are also are many people dealing with labrum tears who don't know it (my surgeon has torn his labrum in both his shoulders and has no symptoms of it).

So basically, unless the injury is bothering you and prohibiting you from doing your daily activities, don't get the surgery. If it is preventing you from doing the things you want to do (for me I couldn't lift, didn't have full ROM, trouble sleeping, couldn't play hockey, so I needed it) then get it.

If you do get the surgery expect a long, long recovery. It's very frustrating and starting to get to me after almost 4 weeks of not being able to do much. The pain is pretty bad after the surgery but nothing ridiculous. You're given a nerve block and put to sleep so you don't feel any pain the day of surgery. Just make sure you're taking the pain meds before it wears off (mistake I made) and you'll be fine.

It's been 4 weeks and my ROM is still terrible, I start up PT again this Wednesday and I'm excited to try to get my ROM back and hopefully am back lifting light weights by May. If you have any more questions just send me a message.