Labrum Tear - right shoulder

I was diagnosed with a right shoulder labrum tear, after an MRI a few weeks back.

I was recommended surgery, since my symptoms have been resisting physical therapy for many years. But the recovery would take at least 9 months and I am not sure if surgery is the right treatment.

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar injury and how they have dealt with it.
I would love to know if there are non-surgical treatment that have worked well to at least keep the shoulder in climbing condition.
And for the people that had surgery, was it worth it? Did it solve the problem? How long did it take to be back to 100%?

thanks.

Thanks Willa.

I had that surgery about 8 years ago on my left shoulder and to this day it is problem free. Granted I don't climb as much as I used to but on the other hand I weigh alot more. Prior to surgery I tried many therapies and none worked. The shoulder continued to degrade to the point I couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder. Brutal recovery but well worth it. Eric McCarty did my surgery and I recommend him to everyone.

lots of intense pt last winter for 3-4 months now just very diligent about stretching and warming up for a long time...

I had the labrum surgery. I was only not climbing for about three months. Make sure you do the physical therapy they give you regularly. I think saying "9 months" is just for those that are not as motivated as us climbers to heal. My shoulder hurt climbing at first, but not for very long.

Definitely have the surgery. I've had labral repairs to both shoulders. The first was pre-climbing, but the second was after 8 years of repeated dislocations continually setting back my climbing progress. I would dislocate it at least once a year-usually when i had rehabbed and was starting to push my climbing once again. I had surgery in 04 and have had no issues since. I was slab climbing 6 months after surgery, but it took about 9-10 months to feel 100%

I have developed a bone spur in that shoulder that impinges my rotator cuff. I'm having that fixed this week. Not sure whether or not it has anything to do with the earlier surgery.

Dave,
good luck with your surgery.

Thanks all for the info, it seems that a lot of people had great outcomes from the surgery, which makes me a little more willing to try it.

Morgan, I have done PT several times in the past 5 years and been extremely diligent with strengthening the rotator cuff, and stretching. Still, as soon as I start climbing near my limits I have a lot of pain and trouble sleeping, and I am starting to be fed up with it and willing to go under the knife.

I would get it done!

I am having open surgery on my right shoulder in February. I am having AC joint reconstruction and a labrum repair done at the same time. Given our choice of sports and activity, the labrum will always give you trouble. My surgery will put be back almost 12 months, but my surgeon is confident that I can get it back to close to 100%. For me, it's a no brainer. Good luck with your decision.

Chris

Sorry dude... you need surgery. THe labrum does not heal without it. My friend Volker does these surgeries all the time on various Euro team climbers... its almost always successful, but do your pt afterward.

BTW, he says there is no reason to put it off and hope. If you want to use your shoulder in the way we use ours, you need to get the labrum stitched closed.

Hamlet73 wrote:my symptoms have been resisting physical therapy for many years. But the recovery would take at least 9 months and I am not sure if surgery is the right treatment.

Sounds like you should get surgery. I put off knee(acl)surgery for years because of the down time, in the end you will be glad you got it over with.

Hamlet73 wrote:I was recommended surgery, since my symptoms have been resisting physical therapy for many years. But the recovery would take at least 9 months and I am not sure if surgery is the right treatment.

You become a good surgical candidate when your injury has not responded to (in your case extensive) conservative treatment. Therefore, you sound like a great candidate based on what you state.

Nine months is not atypical at all for full recovery from many types of shoulder surgery. This does not mean you will be completely incapacitated for that long. I had a partner who was doing light climbing on toprope about 4 months later. Try to think long term, not short term.

Lastly, most labrum tears DO NOT HEAL ON THEIR OWN. EVER. And if you continue to try to use your shoulder aggressively without proper treatment, you may end up with climbing-career-ending arthritis or worse later in life. Just some additional food for thought.

My wife had tears of the labrum in both hips. After years of misdiagnosis, and being told once that the pain was all in her head, she found a doctor that was able to find the source of her pain and treat it. She has had surgery to repair tears in both hips and has returned to a normal active lifestyle. The recovery time seems long, but is short when compared to living in pain everyday. I can highly recommend a doctor if you are looking.

Get the surgery and get on with your life. A torn labrum will not fix itself and just deteriorates over time.

As everyone has said the surgery is the only way to make your shoulder totally solid again. Just for reference I had an extensive tear of the left labrum and timeline was:

3 months: toproping in the gym

3.5 months: following easy trad

4 months: moderate sport (for me)/ easy trad leading

5 months: harder sport/bouldering

Everyone heals differently but stick to the pt and you should be good to go

I had a labrum tear (didn't need anchors), bicep tendon tear, and a bone impingement that needed to be shaved down in my left shoulder. Had the surgery over Christmas last year and I was climbing again in the spring. I did my PT like it was my job for 2.5 months and now I'm stronger than before.

Good luck with yours. I'd do it again, if I had the same issue in the other shoulder.

I had a Labrum seperation last year in my right shoulder. They had to pin it back together. After surgery it took 6 months before any climbing. I was out for 8 months total. Worked hard at the PT end but also need to let it heel, don't overdo it the first 4 months.
Been cleared since late July and back climbing at about the same level as before the injury. Dr. Gloria Biem in Crested Butte is the BEST!!! Specializes in shoulders and works closly with many different aspects of the US olympic teams, and US basketball teams. She can't be beat (even by those popular Vail guys) ;)

I had fixed a torn labrum. My shoulder was separating a lot before I fixed it. Went great and I was climbing in 5 months.

Had RT shoulder simple (no biceps tendon involvement) SLAP repair in 2007. Cried like a baby b/c, immediately after surgery, it felt like I would never climb again. Climbed/led 3-4 months later. If I didn't have the pictures & insurance paperwork, I would not know that there was ever anything wrong w/ it.

Tore LT labrum last Sept... didn't do anything about it except laying off of it (mostly due to insurance issues). Can climb slabs but it aches really easily... not excruciating, more like a I-can't-trust-this-shoulder ache/worry. Proof that it does not really resolve itself w/o intervention if overhead sports are part of your future. Getting it fixed after ski season, hopefully.

Have the surgery!!! I had the same two years ago and my shoulder is stronger and better than ever.

Keep in mind that PT is a part time cure....... eventually the tear will catch up with you and the older you get the harder the repair, and at some point you may no longer be repairable!!!

Just suck it up, have the surgery, do your PT and you will be back before you know it.

Cheers and good luck!!!

PS: make sure you choose your doctor wisely, someone that has performed 100s of those types of surgeries.

I wish I didn't wait so long to get my surgery. Dr Paul is awesome! He shaved down my acromion bone and trimmed the tear in my labrum.

I did not climb for 6 months after my surgery just to be on the safe side.

mountainproject.com/v/looki…

I tore the labrum in my left shoulder awhile back, and did PT for a couple of months. Had some improvement, but it took at least 5 years to heal completely. That said, I avoided surgery, and was able to continue climbing without a prolonged absence. I think you have to weigh the current level of pain/disability/inconvenience you have now, vs the pain/expense/recovery time of surgery, PLUS the uncertainty of whether the surgery will help. Obviously everyone's response to injury is different, but FWIW, my orthopod (a very experienced guy at Yale) recommended against surgery.