anyone here ever have a shoulder labrum tear?

[cepmom]

I had an MRI for my shoulder last week due to shoulder pain and it showed inflammation in the AC joint and a superior labral tear. I was hit by a car while jogging in April and I believe the driver's side mirror hit my shoulder (broke off the truck from the accident). I also broke the wrist on the same arm. I had a lot of swelling and bruising on the shoulder with limited range of motion, but over the course of the past couple months the range of motion has improved but I still have residual pain in the shoulder (in both the AC joint and front area of the shoulder).

MY physical therapist said last week he thought there was a problem with the labrum and I talked to my Dr about it so she ordered and MRI, but she is insisting it's not an issue. She had me stop PT and I need to follow up with her in 5 weeks (still doing exercises at home though). She said she is primarily treating the ac joint inflammation and not worrying about the tear.

If you had a labrum tear, how did you treat it? I am the last person to think that surgery is the first course of action, and I am all for conservative treatment, but I don't want to ignore this issue either and have it become an even bigger problem down the road.

 

[ilovejack02]

Hubby had a tear last year. Problem with MRI from what I remember Dr saying is that while it will show a tear, it can't show just how bad the tear is , only way for sure to show is arthroscopy . How ever with you getting better , possibly that is why she is going with just treating the AC joint ?
Maybe second opinion time?

 

[cepmom]

Hubby had a tear last year. Problem with MRI from what I remember Dr saying is that while it will show a tear, it can't show just how bad the tear is , only way for sure to show is arthroscopy . How ever with you getting better , possibly that is why she is going with just treating the AC joint ?
Maybe second opinion time?

yes, I was thinking about getting another opinion also. Did your Dh have surgery to repair the tear?

 

[lemondog]

My DH had a hip labrum tear and surgery was his only option...don't know if it's the same with a shoulder. It was done arthroscopically and recovery wasn't horrible.

 

[pag1164]

In 2008, I tore my shoulder. It did appear on the MRI and surgery was the only option to repair it. I had a lot of damage to the shoulder already due to 6 dislocations, so it gave the surgeon an opportunity to tighten the ligaments, shave the humerus head, remove a few bone chips, and repair the labral tear.

After the surgery, I had to keep the shoulder immobilized for a month. I had physical therapy for, I think, 4 to 6 months, and it took a good year for the shoulder to fully heal. Of course, I had a lot of work done in there. It might not be that extensive for a tear only. I had a rather large tear, too. I managed to fall down the stairs and tore the shoulder while catching myself on the handrail.

Last year, I tore the muscle and ligament in my arm. The tears were small and did not require surgery. I had to wear a brace as much as possible, but they eventually healed on their own.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[ilovejack02]

yes, I was thinking about getting another opinion also. Did your Dh have surgery to repair the tear?

Yes he did, but it was a huge tear and there were other things going on . Small tears heal on their own I think . My MIL wore a sling/brace thing for a few months, all good now.

 

[Abbie]

I'd second the second opinion! Make sure you take the original MRI scan with you.

DS had a labrum tear a few years ago. Same type of injury as the mirror, only his was another football player's shoulder pad. I don't remember how big the tear was but we went along with the suggestion of surgery. It wasn't a bad surgery or recovery (although it probably helped being a muscular 16 year old!). I don't regret doing it but he did need to have it done again a year later....wish I remembered why!

 

[Jennasis]

Dh lived with a torn labrum (undiagnosed) for a long time...in agony. He finally found a doctor willing to listen to him and consider surgery. They did an MRI and saw the tear, and when they brought him in for surgery and opened him up, found it to be much worse than the MRI showed.

Post surgery was rough, but about a year after he had made a full recovery.

 

[djgeffers1]

I had the same type of tear in 2007, had surgery in a sling for 3 months physical therapy for 6 months, loss of work for 6 months. Mine was due to injury from work.

 

[JMD]

I was recently diagnosed with a torn labrum as well. My doctor also told me that surgery was the only solution, and there were really no other alternatives. But on the bright side, my doctor said "Having a torn labrum is like being pregnant, you can't get any more pregnant." So I can't do any further damage to my shoulder.

I injured it powerlifting, and got a cortisol shot serveral months ago. Since the shot, the pain has been managable, even doing the same thing that injured it in the first place.

 

[plutolovr]

I had surgery last September for a labrum tear and torn bicep tendon. Went through PT for a year prior to same injury and it was still bothersome. I went to throw something for the dog and it just popped. MRI showed the tear.

Surgery was arthroscopic. I wore a sling for a few weeks. I was back in the gym by week 2 on the elliptical and am now just about back to doing everything I used to do. I just started doing the Insanity workout and the only thing that gives me pause are push-ups, but they were never my strongsuit.

I was in PT post surgery for 3 months. I was going to the gym regularly and doing my own stuff so much so that my Physical Therapist said there wasn't anything she could do for me that I wasn't doing myself.

For the record I'm a 48yo female who was just determined not to let this thing slow me down too much.

 

[cepmom]

thanks for all the input. I've been trying not to overdo it with the right arm so it can heal. It's getting frustrating to say the least. I had to hire a guy to come clean up the yard finally since I can not do any gardening and DH is super busy at work right now. Now to find out it's a tear...ugh.

It's not awful, but it's not great either. I am icing a few times a day and taking 800 mg of advil when the pain is bad. But one of my biggest concerns is down the road if we do nothing now. I really don't want to have worse issues with this when I'm 60 you know? Guess I will just see how it is at my follow up in 4 weeks and go from there. It helps to know how others made out with a similar injury. Thanks!

 

[MI mom of 3]

Found out around Christmas that I had a labrum tear in both shoulders. Doc did not feel they were too bad and wanted to try PT first. Said not all tears require surgery. Did PT for 6 weeks, went back to see him. Had regained almost all range of motion. He was very pleased. No surgery required!! Feeling great now.

 

[cepmom]

bumping my own (old) thread. Still having shoulder issues and just looking for any more fellow shoulder injury survivors! I did get another opinion from another Dr in the same practice and he also said no surgery needed, treated primarily the AC joint injury, gave another cortisone etc (which only helped very briefly). Had another health issue over the winter that required me to ignore the shoulder while I recovered from a hysterectomy for a couple months. Once that was better, I focused on the shoulder again since it was not improving.

Got another Dr's name from the PT I went to last year and he said I needed surgery. Decided to make one last ditch effort to avoid surgery and went to PT for a month. No improvement at all, so now I have the surgery scheduled for early September (because he could not get me in until end of July and we have a trip planned for end of August, he said better to wait until after the trip)

Anyone else here that can give me any words of encouragement or advice to prepare for surgery and rehab?? Help!

 

[ToyStory Fan]

I've had issues with both my shoulders (mainly from years of abuse playing contact sports) most recently I had an issue that popped my shoulder up and in - straining the ac joint. That was the longest recovery of any of my other shoulder issues. All the others were 4-6 weeks of PT and I was good to go, this time it was much longer - more like 10-12 - as much strength as I had built up during PT- there was still lingering pain in the ac joint - not bad but enough to make me feel that it wasn't right.

As for the labrum tear - I haven't had the pleasure - or it hasn't gotten bad enough to notice. My younger brother on the other hand tore his so bad that it snapped like a rubber band and shot around to the other side - he was in tremendous pain and required surgery.

I'm surprised about your doc giving a 2nd cortisone shot - I overheard my ortho telling another patient that wanted a cortisone shot - "that shots don't fix anything - all these athletes that are getting shots are back in the dr office in the offseason having surgery, a shot will only make you feel good enough to possibly inflict more damage - follow the process and go with PT". This coming from a the team dr of one of our local professional sports teams - so if he's not a believer in shots I'm comfortable with that opinion.

The surgery and rehab - based on what my brother went thru - the surgery wasn't bad - and he was ziplining through the rainforest of Costa Rica 8 weeks later - but you HAVE to do the PT and you have to be serious about your recovery - don't try to over do it, but push yourself as much as your PT team will let you. Good Luck!

 

[GeorgeG]

I have one in my left shoulder. I've had it for about ten years and believe I got it from lifting a 90 pound bass amp in and out of the trunk of my car. I saw an orthopaedic surgeon and the options were surgery to repair the tear or physical therapy to build the muscles around it so they can compensate. part of the PT was to also learn how to lift (basically keeping the elbow in close for better leverage).

I had reservations about the physical therepy, but it did work. The only problem is I still have amplifiers and other equipment I have to lift and have not always been able to lift properly. I have lighter equipment now, but can't always lift properly and it's reaching to lift as much as the weight so the shoulder has been bothering me a lot in recent months. I think I'm going to opt for the surgery this time, but I have to find out how long the recovery and rehab will be since we have gigs booked every week through next year (yes, I'm supposed to be retired...) and we don't have a roadie... yet.

 

[cepmom]

thanks for the input again! Its so hard to know the right thing to do...I so wanted to trust my first Dr's. Many others in my family had been to these 2(who are actually married to each other) and I had been there a couple years before for a knee issue myself. But something just didn't seem right, with them ignoring the pain in the front of my shoulder, and not offering any other type of treatment other than cortisone and keep doing your "exercises at home". I allowed the cortisone because I was hoping it was going to be what I needed, but clearly it's not. After the second cortisone didnt work, the dr said he wouldnt do any more but didnt really offer any other alternative. I figured then it was Time to move on. Hoping to hear more success stories!!

 

[bekkiz]

I can't help with the specific surgery you are having, but I've had three major orthopedic surgeries, each after a long course of conservative therapy. Each time, my surgeon (3 different ones) apologized after for taking so long to fix my issue, each time it was so much worse once they got in there. I made a full recovery from each one with almost immediate relief of my previous symptoms.

Surgery is painful and uncomfortable, and there's nothing you can do about that. However, thinking through your daily life and how to make things easier once you're immobile will be very help (like moving things off high shelves, stocking your fridge with easy, one handed meals etc).

Stay on top of your meds (both pain meds and then ones that help stave off the side effects of the pain meds). My husband got a little notebook to write down the times for the first few days, and would wake me up in the night to take the dose. This will be SUPER important in the first 5 days or so.

Consider getting a seat for your shower. I know it seems silly, but relaxing in the shower always made me feel better. I suppose depending on your dressing, that might not work for the first couple days, but for arthroscopic surgery, the incision should heal pretty quickly.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that the surgery solves your problems!

 

[Jennasis]

DH (who I mentioned back on page one with the torn labrum) started having terrible knee pain a little over a month ago. He waited 2 weeks before going to the Ortho (same one who did his shoulder), because we have a trip to WDW in September and that's a LOT of walking (and there's no FOTL access in a wheelchair...). Doc gave him a cortisone shot, but after 2 more week sit is killing him again. Doc ordered an MRI last Saturday and scheduled surgery for the end of this month.

One thing DH and I have learned over the years (between his shoulder 4 years ago, my back surgery back in 2010 and his new knee issues) is to FORGET CONSERVATIVE. If i'm "broken" I want it fixed, and I want it fixed NOW. This approach isn't for everybody, but at this point in my life I refuse to live in pain if there is a way to correct it. I'll find a way to pay for it (with our lousy insurance), and i'm not afraid of surgery. But I don't do "let's wait and see" anymore.

 

[mirage0306]

My husband had surgery for a torn labrum last year. One year out, he is finally starting to resume some normal activity. But he had pain for years (his tear was due to repeated dislocation). He tried so many things for many years, and really, surgery was the only remaining option.

I hope you're all right, and I too would get a second opinion. Hang in there.