Anyone here ever have a torn labrum?

[Frosty]

I have been having problems with my right bicep and shoulder for a while now and finally got around to going to the doctor about it. They poked and prodded but basically said to try physical therapy before doing a MRI to actually see what's going on.

The PT decided I might have a partially torn labrum, where the bicep tendons attach to the shoulder joint. He didn't seem very positive about the whole PT thing and kind of insinuated that I might have to learn to live with it. It severely limits the range of motion so that would suck.

Reading about it online, it sounds like surgery may be the only option but it introduces other issues (adhesions and scar tissue). So I was wondering if anyone here has had the surgery - especially if you are older - and had it be a success. Or if anyone has gotten better just with PT. So far, PT has mostly just made it hurt more but I am open to the idea it may work.

Just for reference, the issues I am having is limited range of motion and pain when pushed too far. I can touch my left shoulder but not my back over the shoulder like I can with my left. If you "make a muscle" (think Billay) and then rotate your forearm from 90° up to 90° down, I can only go about halfway down (parallel to the floor, not perpendicular). Pulling down on something, like closing a double hung window, flares intense pain in my bicep and shoulder. Reaching behind myself, like to tuck in a shirt, is awkward and painful.

Ok - commence labia jokes now. However, I am hoping to get a few serious answers too.

[splatbass]

I had one. Got a couple of cortisone shots which helped for a while, then after I started taking a high dose of prednisone for rheumatoid arthritis it cleared up. That was 5 years ago and I still take a small maintenance dose for the RA. The shoulder is still ok unless I lift too much weight in the gym.

I also had a torn labrum in my hip, along with the cartilage being pretty much gone. Got a hip replacement for that. Had a torn meniscus in my knee and it hurt for a year before healing. Lots of other joint pain from the RA.

Chronic pain sucks. Count yourself lucky if you only have problems with your shoulder.

[MahiMike]

Both my shoulders are shot. I had rotator cuff and labrum surgery 3 years ago. Never really worked right and still couldn't raise my hand over my head 6 mos later. 12 mos later doc tells me I re-tore it. I dunno. Tried strengthening it lifting weights. Now my other shoulder is killing me.

Went to see a diff doc and he told me that this surgery doesn't work as well in guys over 40. He suggests cutting the bicep to shoulder tendon - otherwise known as Brett Favre surgery. Supposedly, the bicep is what is making it hurt. And the tendon is not needed.

So I've already made an appointment for January when the new health care year starts. I may actually do both shoulders in 2017.

[DaneMcCloud]

There are plenty of CP members with torn labias

[Strongside]

No, but I've torn a few Hymen.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by splatbass

I had one. Got a couple of cortisone shots which helped for a while, then after I started taking a high dose of prednisone for rheumatoid arthritis it cleared up. That was 5 years ago and I still take a small maintenance dose for the RA. The shoulder is still ok unless I lift too much weight in the gym.

I also had a torn labrum in my hip, along with the cartilage being pretty much gone. Got a hip replacement for that. Had a torn meniscus in my knee and it hurt for a year before healing. Lots of other joint pain from the RA.

Chronic pain sucks. Count yourself lucky if you only have problems with your shoulder.

This sounds an awful lot like "suck it up, whiner".

Originally Posted by MahiMike

Both my shoulders are shot. I had rotator cuff and labrum surgery 3 years ago. Never really worked right and still couldn't raise my hand over my head 6 mos later. 12 mos later doc tells me I re-tore it. I dunno. Tried strengthening it lifting weights. Now my other shoulder is killing me.

Went to see a diff doc and he told me that this surgery doesn't work as well in guys over 40. He suggests cutting the bicep to shoulder tendon - otherwise known as Brett Favre surgery. Supposedly, the bicep is what is making it hurt. And the tendon is not needed.

So I've already made an appointment for January when the new health care year starts. I may actually do both shoulders in 2017.

Very good info, thanks. "bicep to shoulder tendon" This is exactly where the problem is according to the PT. Won't be able to tell for sure until/if they do an MRI.

[threebag]

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by Frosty

This sounds an awful lot like "suck it up, whiner".

Didn't really mean it that way.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by splatbass

Didn't really mean it that way.

I was just giving you a hard time. I appreciate your post.

I have been lucky so far in regards to pain. My left thumb has been hurting like a bitch down in the main joint in the hand the last year or so and I suspect it's the start of some arthritis but that's pretty much it until the shoulder thing cropped up.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I have been having problems with my right bicep and shoulder for a while now and finally got around to going to the doctor about it. They poked and prodded but basically said to try physical therapy before doing a MRI to actually see what's going on.

The PT decided I might have a partially torn labrum, where the bicep tendons attach to the shoulder joint. He didn't seem very positive about the whole PT thing and kind of insinuated that I might have to learn to live with it. It severely limits the range of motion so that would suck.

Reading about it online, it sounds like surgery may be the only option but it introduces other issues (adhesions and scar tissue). So I was wondering if anyone here has had the surgery - especially if you are older - and had it be a success. Or if anyone has gotten better just with PT. So far, PT has mostly just made it hurt more but I am open to the idea it may work.

Just for reference, the issues I am having is limited range of motion and pain when pushed too far. I can touch my left shoulder but not my back over the shoulder like I can with my left. If you "make a muscle" (think Billay) and then rotate your forearm from 90° up to 90° down, I can only go about halfway down (parallel to the floor, not perpendicular). Pulling down on something, like closing a double hung window, flares intense pain in my bicep and shoulder. Reaching behind myself, like to tuck in a shirt, is awkward and painful.

Ok - commence labia jokes now. However, I am hoping to get a few serious answers too.

I had a torn rotator cuff. I was causing a bad impingement of the bursa sac, and my arm would go numb, or be on fire depending on how I slept.

Had surgery, but it couldn't be repaired. They discovered my labrum was shredded, which did not appear on the MRI. So they did their best to repair it.

And since the rotator cuff couldn't be fixed, they cut my shoulder bone in half, so my joint would have more space so when my shoulder moved in the socket it wouldn't impinge on the bursa sac.

Did 6 months of PT. I have about 90% range of motion now at age 45, four years removed from surgery. But it still can be a source of intense discomfort. But the pain is much less than before the surgery. And sometimes the scar tissue feels like it's on fire.

So, with a lot of PT, you would probably be fine. One thing I would say to be absolutely sure of, is that the nerve block they will give you, actually hits the nerve.

Two different people, including a surgeon (not my surgeon) attempted to get my nerve, but they failed. Only, I didn't realize until I woke up in recovery. The block is supposed to numb your entire side, neck, shoulder, and all. Because of this they don't give you a local. Well, waking up after having your shoulder cut open, including your muscle, and having your bone cut, with no anesthesia is as painful as it sounds. So, if you choose surgery, make damn sure your nerve block worked. And make sure your insurance covers adequate PT.

Just my 2 cents

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[UK_Chief]

Labrum? Isn't he a basketball player?

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by Strongside

No, but I've torn a few Hymen.

[blake5676]

Shoulders are just flat out shitty joints. They are awesome, because they have more ROM than any other joint in your body (basically 180 degrees), but that is also their downfall. They are just extremely unstable and easily injured/re-injured. Almost anyone, especially males, who have played competitive sports or been a heavy lifter is going to have some junk or small tears/scar tissue in the shoulder.

I had a complete SLAP tear of my labrum and 2 of the 4 rotators partially torn. Had surgery in 2010. Recovery sucks and is slow, but I pushed my rehab and regained ROM pretty damn close to where I was before injury. In the years since, I haven't kept up strength in the joint like I should have. So it has regressed some as a result. I was 28 when I had the surgery. If I'm being honest, it's probably 90% good as new. But when I do something wrong with it, soreness and swelling return and let me know I still have a really shitty joint.

Diagnosis of an actual labrum tear isn't super easy. They weren't even diagnosed regularly until the past 20 years or so, because they are so difficult to see on imaging. A lot of time, the labrum appears normal and it isn't until they're scoping your shoulder that it becomes visible. If I could do it over, I'd have spent a few months rehabbing and building strength in it before going under the knife. Nothing to lose with that IMO.

If you're in KC and want the name of a few shoulder docs, PM me. I refer some of my patients to a few and can point you in a good direction if you're local.

[chagrin]

Giggitty, I have a torn labrum and it causes tremendous pain in my arm and sometimes the pain goes down through to my leg as well, sucks

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by chagrin

Giggitty, I have a torn labrum and it causes tremendous pain in my arm and sometimes the pain goes down through to my leg as well, sucks

Had that pain when I first hurt it. Scaried me to death with the pain all along my right side.

[BigRichard]

There are several people over in DC that have a torn labia. You might want to check there.