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Can physical therapy help avoid surgery for a torn Labrum?
I was recently diagnosed with a torn labrum in my shoulder. It is not severe pain day to day, probably a 2-3 out of 10. Currently experiencing geneneral shoulder weakness, and avoiding certain activities. The Dr. was kind of vague on chance of therapy helping avoid surgery. I am in reasonable shape (41 yrs), but I was skipping the gym for about 3 months, then the shoulder starting hurting after an awkward shoulder stretch, backing out of driveway and turning the car wheel. Original injury was skiing a couple of years ago, then this past winter, it hurt again doing push ups. Is is reasonable to expect that stengthening the surrounding muscles will let me "live" with a small cartiledge tear? For hoe long? And, avoid the surgery? An MRI was not done, just and X ray and an exam. He said he was 95% sure it was labrum, and other 5% could be rotator cuff. Should I insist on MRI? Seek 2nd opinion?
Public Comments
- I really think you should have an MRI first. My back was really bothering me a while back ago...I went to the hospital and everything. They took an x ray and said that it was just muscle spasms. A few months later i went to an orthopedic doctor, and had an MRI, and it turns out that i actually had a degenerated disk in my lower back, which was causing all the pain. I has physical therapy 3 times a week for 2 months. It did not cure my back, but it did help me with daily tasks like lifting things by building up muscles in my back. I would try everything possible before you have surgery. And maybe have a second opinion if surgery is your only option. Physical therapy can make a large difference....
- Absolutely, and not an MRI is not necessarily required at this point. Almost everyone's MRI will show "something"...even pain free people. Therefore, the link between pathoanatomical findings and one's pain is not always correlated. I've found MANY people repond to physical therapy with specific movements to improve the articulation of the joint. I would definetely seek out PT before a second opinion or an MRI (because most likely, the second opinion is going to send you to PT anyway)
- Definantly have the MRI to know exactly what you are dealing with. Physical Therapy will help with relieving some of the pain, but if it's a tear of any type, that will only be able to be repaired through surgery. Sometimes what doctors do and depending on your insurance benefits, they have you do physical therapy for a couple weeks to build up some extra strength that you will lose after surgery. Then do physical therapy again while recovering. If you do want to try the therapy first and your doctor wont allow that, get a second opinion.
