Hello All,
I've been researching this for quite some time and came across this website which seemed active. I injured my shoulder playing basketball 4 months ago. I have been doing PT for quite some time and eventually got an MRI. The results showed a Slap Tear Type 2. I went in to see the orthopedics and after checking my range of motion, he mentioned that I also have a Frozen Shoulder. He mentioned that it we should not perform a surgery for the Slap Tear until the frozen shoulder is better. He gave me a cortisone shot and recommended to continue two months of PT.
I was reading up on frozen shoulders and if it does not get better, surgery is required. My question is doesn't it make sense to get the surgery asap and begin rehab for both the frozen shoulder and the slap tear surgery? This way I don't waste twice the time.
I am an active guy, late 20's. I miss working out, playing basketball, and being active. I was hoping to get a surgery soon and start rehabbing but it seems like its going to be a longer process. Does any one have any experience with Slap Tear and Frozen Shoulder? Any Recommendations?
Thanks in advance
Dear AJ,
I had surgery for a Slap tear and THEN got a frozen shoulder. It has been terrible. I am almost eight months post-op and I am finally about 90% back ROM, maybe only 30% strength... This is with PT 2-3x's a week, EVERY week since 6wks after surgery... This is a ton of PT! I have also been dry needling and I am about to try cryotherapy.
My advice to you is - get the whole thing repaired sooner than later. Every day you continue to let your muscles around the injury compensate or atrophy and my opinion - this is where further damage is done. I am not a doctor, but this has been my experience. You are too young for this to become a permanently debilitating injury for you!
Hockey Mom
Many believe and it seems the case that surgery does not resolve frozen shoulder. People on here who have had surgery followed by PT are reporting 90% ROM at 1 yr or more post Op and PT which is the average for people who do nothing. I opted out of surgery and PT and have regained 90% ROM at 1 yr. it's a long process but it is self eliminating.
AJ
You do not have a frozen shoulder. You are too young.
Surgery dues not cause a frozen shoulder.
That was my though process too. I was thinking to get it all done at once but the orthopedic surgeon recommends that I take care of the frozen shoulder before we do the surgery for the Slap Tear
I thought so too... it can occur after injury which i had after playing basketball
Hi, i think you need to get the surgery asap. It is a long recovery after regardless o what youhave so u need to get on a path to healing. I recommend seeing a second ortho consult. You prob dont have a frozen shoulder, your arm is reacting to guard against the injury. I have had surgery three times in 8 months trying to correct a posterior labral tear, subscap tear and humerus fracture. I was labelled with frozen shoulder but noone is really sure. Labral tears can be difficult to fix and rehab so it takes a lot of therapy and patience. You dont want to waste another year waiting for stiffness to resolve first.
Thanks for the info. Im trying to get a second opinion schedule so hopefully that works out. Some of the things that I notice with my shoulder are similar to what you're saying (arm is reacting to guard against the injury).
It’s frustrating because it seems like the doctors don’t listen to what you have to say.
First my regular doctor said it’s a shoulder impingement (did physical therapy and it did not help)
Then they say I’m developing a frozen shoulder and I should see the orthopedics. (Got an MRI and a Slap Tear Type 2 was diagnosed)
Referred to surgeon (he said I have a frozen shoulder and slap tear so I should heal the frozen shoulder before we worry about the slap tear)
I agree that the surgery itself did not "cause" frozen shoulder, but I lay down scar tissur very quickly (had a similar experience with a knee surgery) and after six weeks in a sling; the shoulder was frozen. This has been confirmed by my Orthopedic Surgeon AND my PT (who is also a Fellow in Sports Rehabilitation and a doctor). This may be why AJ's doctor is recommending that he try to work out the frozen shoulder before surgery because most likely - it will still be frozen after surgery... Either way, he has to do the therapy, so I recommend that he get the damage fixed. A typical frozen shoulder can take a year or more to work out!
Absolutely not true. There is a 16 year old boy at my clinic with Frozen Shoulder. He is a baseball pitcher. Very common among athletes and people who have had surgery...
A boy on my son's hockey team recently separated his shoulder and tore his labrum. As kids and hockey players do; he continued to play for a month and a half and finished out the season (they won their State Championships). His shoulder was appearing to be "frozen" (fortunately, lifting it above your head in hockey is not so necessary); but you are correct - it could quite possibly be all of the muscles surrounding the injury just "guarding" against the injured area... Any of these types of injuries really are a little bit "vague"; they don't know for sure - science is not an exact art and neither is medicine...
I agree with you, wholeheartedly! Like I said, I am 8 months into my recovery and physical therapy after surgery for the repair and I am NOW dealing with Frozen Shoulder on top of that! If this young man waits for the Frozen Shoulder to resolve itself (which could be upwards of a year), he could be out of commission for two years after he gets the actual Labrum tear repaired (not to mention all of the damage and atrophy that is done to the surrounding area while your body tries to compensate for the injury). I recommend that AJ get a second opinion for sure... just my thoughts
Very common no, impossible yes. Frozen shoulder is a disease unto itself and only occurs in middle age, never before and never after. It is never caused by injury. You can see why the injured on this forum are not getting the treatment they deserve,
Injury does not cause frozen shoulder.
Please ask your PT to contribute to this forum and explain about the diagnosis of frozen shoulder after injury or surgery.
Well, injury or surgery can result in PSS, postoperative stiff shoulder, which can present like frozen shoulder in how it limits ROM and causes pain, but it is a different etiology. Doctors do call PSS a form of frozen shoulder but it does not follow the 3 typical phases of freezing and thawing like idiopathic frozen shoulder does. And PSS may not resolve completely on its own. The typical timeframe is that if it isn't showing good improvement after six months of effort then surgical intervention may be warranted. It is a nepharious issue that doctors cannot definitively diagnose.
Are you a doctor? Just curious, because my Orthopedic Surgeon and PT (who is a Fellow in Sports Rehabilitation) disagree. I asked my PT yesterday. She insists that Frozen Shoulder can occur at any age and that it is often brought on by injury or surgery. Don't want to argue. Mine seems to be resolved - took about eight months (I am middle aged). It occurred after I came out of the sling post-op. My PT says it is because I did not get my ROM back quickly enough - so the shoulder "froze up". I would hope nobody on here is using this site for "medical advice". That would not be very intelligent. I came on here to see if others had similar timelines as me and to get any new ideas to ask my doctor about (therapies, treatments, exercises, etc.). It was validation to see others struggling with the same pain, lack of sleep, etc.
This response was for "Frozen Stiiff", Lessr Tuberosity makes great points about PSS. That could be what I had. Improve was hard and slow - still improving...
No it is not caused by an injury.