torn labrum

[Smallpotatoes]

This afternoon, I visited my orthopedic specialist for a follow-up after six weeks of physical therapy for my shoulder injury. He said it didn't appear any better and suspected a torn labrum.
I'm having an MRI tomorrow and seeing the doctor again next Thursday to go over the results.
My physical therapist explained a little about the injury and said there's no non-invasive treatment that can repair it. I can have surgery, I can live with it and cut back on some activities (no more heavy weight lifting in the upper body, no more rugby) or I could keep doing what I was doing before, eventually develop arthritis and need a new shoulder.
So I can have my **** sandwich on white, wheat or rye.
Apparently, going back to when I got into this mess and having whatever happened not happen is not possible. But that's probably the only thing that could really help me. If anybody has invented a time machine yet, please let me know.
Reading about the surgery, I'm a little put off by the idea of spending a week out of work and six weeks in a sling, with no driving (which would seriously affect my ability to do my job). Maybe I'm being a little shortsighted about this but if the short term involves car repossession, the unemployment line or bankruptcy, I'm not interested.
Has anyone had this condition or an operation and is it as bad as it sounds?
I'm still doing the rehab exercises and icing it. Hopefully that will help eventually.

 

[Flash]

Welcome to my hell. Only it's not my shoulder anymore. I have a torn meniscus in my right knee. MRI is skedded for Wednesday morning. Yippie-kie-****ing-yay. Just walking the dog hurts like a mofo.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

Damnedest thing, the knee problems I had this spring are all better now.

 

[Flash]

We must have switched places in the time space continuum then ...

 

[Smallpotatoes]

Could be.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I separated my shoulder two years ago, and along with that suffered a slight labrum tear.

I've talked at length with the orthopedic specialist for the team I cover (high-major DI hoops), and he told me that surgery for such a tear, although poo-pooed as a minor procedure by many doctors, is actually a real *****. Even for a small tear like mine.

He basically told me to just tough it out -- provided I can still do the things I want physically -- until I get to the point where it's too painful. Then take care of it.

I'm taking his advice and so far, so good. I'm just afraid what the future holds.

Hope this helps.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

yeah, my gp thought i had a torn labrum...

i started reading up on it and was scared to death

then went to the local big shot doc (does the major league team in town and all sorts of other players) and he diagnosed a rotator cuff tear. was really happy with that. actually said pt should work (now that the cortosone shot has worn off, i need to get on that)

 

[21]

Small P--I hope the MRI shows you something....a torn labrum can be hard to diagnose. If that's the problem, and you don't correct it, be prepared for a lot of dislocations. The labrum is one of the ligaments that holds the shoulder together (keeps the ball in the socket). If it's torn or damaged, any range of movement can drop your arm right out of the shoulder socket. Extremely painful, and a guaranteed trip to the ER--repeatedly.

If your doctor recommends surgery (and I would definitely get more than one opinion!), it might be worth the couple of months of recovery to prevent years of pain and limitation.

 

[Double J]

Not that I would know, but I assume it's better to have a torn labrum than a torn labium.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

I've torn a few labias in my day.

 

[BYH]

I've torn a few labias in my day.

I cannot believe it took eight minutes for someone to make that joke.

 

[Double J]

I've torn a few labias in my day.

I cannot believe it took eight seconds for me to finish that joke.

Fixed.

 

[Flash]

I've torn a few labias in my day.

I cannot believe it took eight hours for me to get that joke.

Nope. Now it's fixed.

 

[WildBillyCrazyCat]

SmallPotatoes,

My fiancee had a torn labrum in her hip, and had surgery. Her doctor told her it was only a minor tear and she could be "skiing in two weeks" after the surgery.

Here we are nine months later, and the surgery has only worsened her condition. She has more pain than before the surgery, and is still limited in her activities and has pain daily. Take this for what it's worth... one person's experience. But based on this, I would avoid the surgery if you could.

 

[Shaggy]

Shoulder injuries in general are tough, and surgeries don't clean it up and repair it magically. A lot of times the pain doesn't totally go away.

I've lived with shoulder problems from my baseball days for 10 years now. The **** of it is, it hurts the most when I shoot a basketball. I also can't sleep with my arm over my head.

Good for me, 95 percent of the time, I'm OK. So I'll live with it.

 

[PaseanaARG]

I was trippin over an ankle problem I'd had for a long while. MRI results were iffy. I elected to go ahead with surgery anyway. Had it in early June. Surgeon found the problem once he opened the area, restructured the tendons. I feel great now. Took a while to feel great, but I'm glad I went though the process.

That has nada to do with your shoulder situation ... but surgery was great for me.

PS: we have a dude on our beat, older guy, who is trying to live with a torn labrum. Lemme tell you -- it ain't going well. He's nearly in tears this morning. He's a tough dude, too. Get it fixed!

 

[Smallpotatoes]

I had the MRI yesterday and all I can say at the moment is that I'm glad I lost all the weight I did. Three years ago, I never would have been able to fit into that thing.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

The MRI showed a small cyst on the labrum and a bone spur that is probably what's causing the pain. The rotator cuff was OK.
We decided to give therapy a few more months to see if any of the pain will go away. If I get surgery, it won't be as bad as I thought. It would only mean a weekend, maybe a week at most, in a sling and light activity for six weeks.
I'm going to a seminar on Oct. 28 that a trainer is giving about working with shoulder problems.

 

[Football_Bat]

Pardon my physiological ignorance, but what's the diff between a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff?

 

[Smallpotatoes]

The rotator cuff is a group of three muscles in your shoulder. The labrum is a piece of cartilage in the ball and socket joint of your shoulder that acts like a washer or a gasket. The socket is a very shallow one and the labrum allows the upper arm bone to stay in the socket more securely.