FYI for those who are unclear, a labrum tear is a cartilage tear. A rotator cuff tear is muscle/tendon...usually the supraspinatus.
I had no insurance so I never had it operated on. I also worked as a chef at the time and not having the use of my left arm for several months was not an option financially. I did go to physical therapy and it helped dramatically. It took the better part of decade to heal on it's own and now it is 100% back to normal.
Very nice, thank you. Outside the US, in the UK for example, this would be more common. They lean on physical therapy more than surgery and very often achieve results that the surgeons here don't really want advertised. I would like to point out that out of all the responders you are the only one that claims 100% recovery. I would also point out that you have claimed the longest recovery time.
Perhaps the quick fix is not always the best answer.
If it happened now I would have surgery and physical therapy. Physical therapy does do wonders.
I am curious why you would choose surgery in retrospect when you have achieved a 100% recovery without it, and thus far you are the only one here to claim 100% recovery.
The vast majority of surgery is elective, including this surgery. Always seek a second opinion, and that should always include non-surgical alternatives.
Yes, he knows what he is talking about.
Yes, you need to do everything your PT tells you. And it will suck. Rehabbing a labral tear is unpleasant. Rehabbing a rotator cuff tear is downright painful. Rehabbing both together will not be fun. At all.
Find out who your doc sends his pitchers to for rehab after surgery. Go there.
One caveat...surgeons and the paraprofessionals that serve professional athletes habitually violate standard of care for the purpose of putting the athlete "back in service" with the generally short term goal of making money for the team organization. This is obviously not always in the best interest of the athlete's health and well-being. They generally accept this as the consequence of a high paying short career. What is done for professional athletes isn't always really ideal. Yes, this flies in the face of the fame of the ortho-gods that earn their reputations serving these athletes. That attain celebrity status. But think for a moment about how and why they do that.
I have to agree with the general advice of "Do what your doctor and the PT tell you.". If you don't you will most likely find your recovery unsatisfactory.
Please don't interpret my response as being anti-surgery. I am actually surgically trained myself. I merely attempt to offer some additional realistic perspective.
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