Is surgery the only option to heal shoulder labrum tear?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 26-year-old female. I sustained a shoulder injury while working out and it turned out to be a labrum tear. I can rotate my arm without any problem. I feel the pain only while playing badminton. The doctor has suggested surgery and I do not want to go for it. Kindly go through my reports and let me know if surgery is the only option for my labrum tear to heal. Also, I would like to continue badminton. Please help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your history as well as the MRI report attached to it (attachment removed to protect patient identity). I would recommend surgery to you if you wish to continue playing badminton or any activity with overhead action or involving throwing activity. If you strictly do not want surgery, then my recommendation is to stop badminton, go to a physiotherapist for TENS (transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation) or therapeutic ultrasound application over the painful area for 10 days. Start shoulder exercises after three to four weeks, which I can recommend on a later date. This exercise protocol is going to continue for six months, followed by a reassessment of pain while playing. If the condition does not resolve, then again surgery will be the option. If the tissues would have retracted, then another procedure for graft harvesting has to be added. My recommendation is to forward with the surgery.

Thank you.