shoulder labrum tear

grayeyes started this discussion · 7/10/2018

Anybody else have this and get it to heal or go away or stop hurting or whatever? I've seen two different sports med docs already, a nurse practitioner, physical therapist, done anti-inflammatories and steroid injection. It felt great after the steroid injection until the doc released me to start using it again. I didn't even come close to getting back to full weights (didn't even bother to start poling) and it's painful, clicking and clunking and feels unstable again. It's been about 7 months since the injury. I'm so stinkin' discouraged. I think I saw Michelle Shimmy's injury in the last year was a labrum tear and she posted a while back that she's better so maybe it does get better. I left a comment asking what she did to heal it but it probably got lost in lots of comments. The docs act like surgery is too big a step for this type of injury and to just deal with it or modify. They know I pole but I don't think they get that "modify" when you're holding your body weight on your arms and you're upside down isn't so doable.

12 replies

Runemist34 · 7/10/2018
Hey! I looked it up, and it seems similar to the kind of thing I experience with my own shoulder (I have A/C tendon damage). I have pain occasionally, now, and I'm still working on proper alignment and posture with that shoulder. It's been a long, long time for me. I'm curious, though, what kinds of things did you do with the physical therapist? From what I read, there should have been at least 4-6 weeks of strengthening to get your shoulder back to being able to move correctly, though perhaps longer for proper rehabilitation, with a lot of work on rotator cuffs and other shoulder stabilizers. This, presumeably, should have helped with your clicking, as well as the pain. However, if the inflammation doesn't go down at all, it would be really difficult to work with that area at all, so it did also state that the first order of business is to reduce inflammation. Either ice, anti-inflammatory medication, or cortisol injections. Or, y'know, all three. Continuing with your rotator cuff exercises at home, if you have them, might be a thing you have to do for a long time. I know I should be doing them, and I should be doing them for a *long time*. I can understand why the dr's wouldn't want to do surgery on that, though. The recovery time would be long, and it's possible your shoulder would never be the same afterward. Shoulders are difficult things.
grayeyes · 7/11/2018
Thanks Runemist. I've done stretching and strengthening exercises for months, fascial release by the physical therapist, ice, daily anti-inflammatories for months and the steroid injection most recently, which was great while it lasted which was only until I started using the shoulder again when the doc said I could a month later. Doc diagnosed the labrum tear by MRI and also adhesive capsulitis as I've lost some range of motion. I scheduled another appt but have to wait a month to see him.
Athena30 · 7/11/2018
Have you gotten a second opinion on options? Btw was this a pole related injury?
LatinPoler · 7/11/2018
Sorry to read this, grayeyes. I don't have much to suggest but general guidelines, like rest, cold/heat, then start conditioning and stretching before going to normal activities (pole), etc. But you have already done that. I certainly feel your pain, I injured by oblique about 5 weeks ago doing a Jallegra and yikes, as it is a core muscle, it's taking loooong to heal. You cannot fully rest your core. As conditioning, I've been doing isometric exercises like planks... it has worked well for me. For shoulders, I cannot really think of good isometric exercises... pressing against a wall or the floor maybe (high planks?). And yes, I've left several comments to Michelle Shimmy on IG and she only answered once... and it was related to a product she was trying to promote and I had a size question, so maybe she was paying closer attention. Good luck!! I've been injured twice in the last year (shoulder and oblique) and I'm determined to do all everything I can to avoid injuries again. They are so discouraging :-( Hugs
Veena · 7/11/2018
Injuries SUCK!!!! Honestly time seems to be the answer. Making sure to do the rehab and warm up blah, blah, all that's been said and it IS important, but time has been what ultimately helps. I've not found a quick way to fix an injury, I've researched and learned a bunch over the years but in the end most injuries just take time. I tore my pectoralis minor about 6 years ago helping lift a free standing fireplace up some stairs when we were moving. It hurt forever and it wasn't even a sudden ouch I'm injured moment! I still have some issues now and then and it took a good 2 yrs to not bother me. But I really started to see improvement when I stopped focusing on trying to desperately get back to "normal" and just was careful and moved on. I think sometimes when our thoughts are focused on "oh no, I'm injured" we keep reinforcing that something is wrong and it slows the healing process.....THIS IS JUST MY THEORY! Our bodies do have an amazing capability of healing and MRIs will almost always find something wrong as well, it's just the nature of medicine, if you go looking you will find something. Here are a few articles: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/medicines-problem-of-incidental-findings/282294/ https://rehabilitationperformance.com/health-care/is-your-mri-telling-the-whole-truth/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s2y9tVJCfY Not saying you don't have a tear, or that it's not the issue, but they have done studies and found that finding tears or disc bulge is common and many of the subject never even had pain. Again I'm not saying you don't have an injury, I'm just trying to give you perspective on it and tell you not to stress. Give it time! :) How about focusing on lower body like improving lines and core while letting your body heal?
The AtlanticMedicine's Problem of 'Incidental Findings'Abnormalities on medical tests that weren't what doctors were looking for—and probably mean nothing—can cause a lot of anxiety, time, and money
grayeyes · 7/12/2018
Thanks for all the replies everyone. I'm sure time is the answer but as I'm pushing 50 it seems once one thing heals another thing gets injured. I had been hoping to do the masters open competition at the Arnold this past March but was injured and couldn't prepare and now I'm thinking the same thing will happen with 2019. I should focus on flexibility and plenty of other things but I tend to ignore pole if I can't do it the way I like which is strength and tricks. Not a great attitude but being limited in that way makes me not want to bother. I will say I've been running more and seeing some definition in my legs for the first time in many years--don't think I'll ever have beautiful @latinpoler legs but I gotta start somewhere. @athena30 I have gotten two different sports med doc opinions and my nurse practitioner. I haven't bothered seeing a surgeon as I know their usual answer to everything is surgery. I'm not 100% opposed to surgery but I'm a nurse and worked the recovery room for ortho surgeons and I really don't want any part of shoulder surgery if I can help it. It was partially pole related. I strained it doing dead lift prep with a band in class one night--a strain I have had in both shoulders before. I took a week off of all upper body and then went back to weightlifting (I had lifted through the previous strains without worsening them). I believe while doing a dive bomber pushup variation I tore it because that's when the real pain, clicking, snapping, etc. started, which was new for me.
LatinPoler · 7/13/2018
I'm blushing! You have thin legs, that means that the battle is almost won :-) Take care.
Casi · 9/29/2018
Hey Greyeyes! I feel your pain, or at least I used to! I got a SLAP tear by partially dislocating my shoulder in pole class a couple years ago. The joint was very loose and unstable and was clicking and popping with most movement. I couldn't do any strenuous exercise involving the arms for months, and pole was off the table. MRIs confirmed the SLAP tear (though these tears don't always show up on MRIs), and after seeing multiple ortho docs and finally getting a surgical consult, the analysis was that it would be an "active person's surgery," only necessary if I really insisted on continuing to pole (incomprehensible to non-polers, especially when we are already women of a certain age ;) ). Cartilage itself apparently doesn't heal, but many people who don't use their arms as extremely as we do have age-related damage to the labrum without really noticing it. I was very wary about shoulder surgery, but giving up pole was not something I was ready to do. So after nearly a year off, I decided to keep surgery as a last resort and try returning to pole without it. The good news eighteen months later...I feel great! Restarting pole after such a long period of rest actually made the joint much more stable again, surely from strengthening the muscles around the torn cartilage. (Now I vaguely worry that someday when I do stop pole, that's when this tear will become a problem again!) There will still always be a risk of another dislocation, but I make sure to take care of my shoulders better and I don't push it too much on shoulder flexibility on that side. The tear isn't limiting me at all in terms of strength or power moves. So I think it can be possible to come back without surgery if you have a tear similar to mine. Taking a year off was really tough, but I'm so glad to be back and strong again. I wish you'd gotten an answer from Michelle Shimmy! I'd be so curious to know how she came back from it and how she prevents further injuries.
Casi · 9/29/2018
Just realized this post is two months old. How is shoulder doing??
Casi · 9/29/2018
Also, check out this thread if you haven't seen it: https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/59166e04-6304-4aca-9c2f-2a46ac110006#bottom Leesi's experience was really encouraging
grayeyes · 9/30/2018
Hey Casi I really, really appreciate your reply. I get very discouraged so hearing that you are doing well is really helpful. I recently saw the sports med doc again after he did a second steroid injection that didn't help at all. He sent me for yet more physical therapy and, again, says he's very hesitant to recommend surgery as he is not convinced it will help. I left his office in tears (also related to a chronic hamstring injury I've had for more than a year that he also says he can't do anything for). I feel like a spoiled brat when I get so discouraged because I know there are people with FAR bigger problems and FAR more pain than I have. Apparently I'm unwilling to accept what may be the reality of my age and I'm sick of being told to modify (I just hear quit poling). The doc told me I should take comfort in the fact that the MRI of hamstring looks great so I'm not damaging it by using it. Super, dude, then why has it hurt for more than a year? Again--thank you so much for responding. It really helps. And to answer your question, the shoulder is okay. I can do quite a bit but like most polers I expect a lot from my body so any limit is frustrating. :-)
Casi · 9/30/2018
I completely understand how frustrating that must be, both the limitations and the continued unexplained pain. I feel like at this age (43), I go from injury to injury too. But no way I am giving up something I love as much as poling. Best of luck to you! Keep us posted.