I'm sorry about your injury. A SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) tear can be extremely painful, and often involves bicep tendonitis as well. If therapy does not help, it is not uncommon to have this repaired by arthroscopic surgery.
For those who aren't familiar, this is an injury to the shoulder joint in which the labrum, which is the fibrous tissue that makes a cup to help hold the top of your arm in the shoulder socket, is torn from front to back, often involving injury to the bicep as well as sometimes rotator cuff injury. It can be quite painful. Even professional athletes can end up on the disabled list from this type of injury.
This injury is often caused by repetitive throwing, or falling onto your outstretched arm. It can leave a loose flap of tissue in the shoulder socket that will "catch" when you try to go through full range of motion with your arm. Not treating an injury like this can lead to a frozen shoulder, and loss of function in that arm. The pain from one of these tears can make it difficult to sleep.
Luckily, surgery can often be done arthroscopically now. While there will be physical therapy afterward, the procedure is much better than it used to be, and recovery can be really great. Surgery will involve cleaning out any loose tissue, repairing tears, checking the rotator cuff area for further injury as well.
My husband has had both shoulders done (ex-athlete) and I have seen many pre and post-op patients with this issue. Your pain is probably very frustrating but not uncommon. Here is a link to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00426 and we have information as well: https://www.empowher.com/condition/search/slap-tear-or-frozen-shoulder
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Hi GeOrgette-
I'm sorry about your injury. A SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior) tear can be extremely painful, and often involves bicep tendonitis as well. If therapy does not help, it is not uncommon to have this repaired by arthroscopic surgery.
For those who aren't familiar, this is an injury to the shoulder joint in which the labrum, which is the fibrous tissue that makes a cup to help hold the top of your arm in the shoulder socket, is torn from front to back, often involving injury to the bicep as well as sometimes rotator cuff injury. It can be quite painful. Even professional athletes can end up on the disabled list from this type of injury.
This injury is often caused by repetitive throwing, or falling onto your outstretched arm. It can leave a loose flap of tissue in the shoulder socket that will "catch" when you try to go through full range of motion with your arm. Not treating an injury like this can lead to a frozen shoulder, and loss of function in that arm. The pain from one of these tears can make it difficult to sleep.
Luckily, surgery can often be done arthroscopically now. While there will be physical therapy afterward, the procedure is much better than it used to be, and recovery can be really great. Surgery will involve cleaning out any loose tissue, repairing tears, checking the rotator cuff area for further injury as well.
My husband has had both shoulders done (ex-athlete) and I have seen many pre and post-op patients with this issue. Your pain is probably very frustrating but not uncommon. Here is a link to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00426 and we have information as well: https://www.empowher.com/condition/search/slap-tear-or-frozen-shoulder
Thank you for writing. Please let us know how you do.
May 25, 2010 - 10:14amThis Comment
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