Shoulder
> Labral
Tear > Treatments
Physical
Therapy
Home Recovery
If you have been diagnosed
with a labral tear that does not require surgery, your
physician may recommend that you give the muscles and
tendons in your shoulder a chance to rest. You should
avoid putting strain on your arms, raising them over
your head, or lifting heavy objects. Your physician
may recommend a sling for a short period of time, but
in this case it is usually discontinued quickly to prevent
stiffness. To decrease and inflammation, you may want
to ice your shoulder for about 20 minutes at a time,
three or four times a day. You can rest a bag of ice
on your shoulder whether sitting or lying down; you
may need to tape the ice pack if you plan on moving
around while icing your shoulder. Ice decreases the
size of blood vessels in your shoulder, which helps
decrease inflammation and pain. Your physician also
may prescribe over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication
like aspirin or ibuprofen. Occasionally, some patients
are given injections of long-lasting anesthetics to
ease pain.
To improve stability in your shoulder,
exercises aimed at strengthening your rotator cuff muscles
usually can start as soon as possible after you have
been diagnosed with a labral tear. However, your physician
may recommend that you rest for between one to two weeks,
depending on the severity of your injury and your involvement
in physical activities. A sling may be worn up to a
week for more serious injuries, but rehabilitation,
beginning with passive motion exercises, need to begin
as soon as possible. Physical therapy to strengthen
your rotator cuff muscles usually progresses through
four phases. The time you spend in each phase depends
on the severity of your injury and your body’s
ability to heal.
The
first phase focuses on decreasing inflammation in the
rotator cuff. Your therapist usually helps you move
your arm and stretch your shoulder.
When
you feel comfortable moving your arm with your own strength,
the second phase of rehabilitation works on restoring
a full range of motion and strengthening the hands,
wrist, and elbow.
When
muscles and tendons in the rotator cuff have healed,
the third phase of rehab strengthens the rotator cuff
muscles. You usually learn shoulder-strengthening exercises
without weights and progressively add resistance as
pain goes away.
When
the muscles in the injured rotator cuff are about as
strong as the uninjured muscles, phase four of rehabilitation
becomes more activity oriented. You usually perform
sport specific exercises and coordination drills under
the supervision of a therapist or coach.
The best way to prevent recurring
labral tears and associated shoulder injuries is to
make the strengthening exercises you learned in rehabilitation
part of your everyday routine. You should remember to
stretch your shoulder and warm up before exercising.
Sports that involve repeated overhead motion, like baseball
and tennis, inevitably strain your shoulder. To prevent
injury, you need to keep all the rotator cuff muscles
toned and flexible with an exercise program. You also
may need to alter your work environment to avoid repeated
overhead activities. Physicians generally recommend
that you ice your shoulder after activities. Competitive
athletes may need to use anti-inflammatory medication,
like aspirin and ibuprofen, after sports activities
that cause swelling in their shoulders. If you feel
persistent pain in your shoulder during activities,
you should cut back your activity level and return to
your physician for a check-up.
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