My doctor thinks I have a labral tear. It may not be torn too badly since apparently it wasn't obvious on the MRI. I took three months off of swimming before seeing the doctor - I figured it would get better on its own, but it didn't.
I've done about 4 weeks of physical therapy and will do another two before seeing the doctor again. My range of motion and rotator cuff muscle strength have definitely improved, but the impingement pain and shoulder clicking during freestyle recovery motion is still there. My doctor suggested that after 6 weeks of physical therapy he'd have a better idea if surgery would be necessary. Two weeks to go...
In searching this and other forums, it seems that physical therapy doesn't do the trick for most swimmers with labral tears, and they end up in surgery. Or maybe those that choose surgery just like to post more about it?
If you've recovered from a labral tear without surgery, let me know! I'm willing to do many more months of physical therapy if I think I can avoid surgery!
Brian
Here are all the PT exercises I have been doing to strengthen and stabilize my shoulder blades. I've gone on to some others: throwing a ball against a wall overhead and catching it out to the side (this is supposed to get the shoulder blade to stay close to the spine without conscious effort); snow angels (standing against a wall and moving my arms up and down as if making pointy snow angels); some others.
These exercises are hard to do if your core is not strong (especially the ones involving weights).
YouTube- Swimmer shoulder stability exercises, Part 1
YouTube- Swimmer shoulder stability exercises, Part 2
Also of course the ever-needed internal/external rotation exercises with Therabands or weights.
Alas, I still cannot swim after four months, though my shoulders and back are now very strong. TBD.
No one ever told me about shoulder stabilization exercises. I wish I'd known 10 years ago that these were important.
Also, as others have said, posture, core strength, posture posture posture.
Here are all the PT exercises I have been doing to strengthen and stabilize my shoulder blades. I've gone on to some others: throwing a ball against a wall overhead and catching it out to the side (this is supposed to get the shoulder blade to stay close to the spine without conscious effort); snow angels (standing against a wall and moving my arms up and down as if making pointy snow angels); some others.
These exercises are hard to do if your core is not strong (especially the ones involving weights).
YouTube- Swimmer shoulder stability exercises, Part 1
YouTube- Swimmer shoulder stability exercises, Part 2
Also of course the ever-needed internal/external rotation exercises with Therabands or weights.
Alas, I still cannot swim after four months, though my shoulders and back are now very strong. TBD.
No one ever told me about shoulder stabilization exercises. I wish I'd known 10 years ago that these were important.
Also, as others have said, posture, core strength, posture posture posture.
