Are you recovering from a Shoulder Labral tear injury? In this blog post, CRYSC Head Athletic Trainer Julie Graves has put together a step-by-step guide for an effective and healthy rehabilitation process. From decreasing pain, inflammation, improving flexibility/mobility, and strengthening, the guide below will assist you through every part of the healing process. By emphasizing pain-free progressions and a gradual return to play, this is your roadmap to a resilient and sustainable recovery.
UCHealth + CU Sports Medicine and Orthopedics has a variety of different locations to help your child get back to the soccer field at 100%. If this is something you think your child may be dealing with, please reach out to our Head Athletic Trainer, Julie Graves at [email protected], for assistance. Below is the at-home rehab program for shoulder labral tears.
Phase 1: Goals Weeks 0-2
- Decrease pain (ice 3x/day for 20’)
- Decrease inflammation (2-200mg NSAID every 4 hours for 7-10days, 3200mg MAX/day)
- Improve flexibility/mobility
- Improve the strength of the rotator cuff
Stretches
Wall Stretches
- Stand facing a wall, ~6” away. Lean forward with your hands above your head and rest your arms against the wall. Gently lean your body forward, crawl your hands up the wall, and hold for 20”. Repeat 3x
Lateral Raises
- Stand with your arms at your side. Extend your arms up and away from your body to shoulder height, hold for 5”, then release. Repeat 3×10
Lying Down Shoulder Flex
- Lie on your side – hurt shoulder toward the ceiling – with your hips and knees slightly bent. Extend your arm straight and parallel with your body, and raise it toward the ceiling. Raise your arm toward the ceiling and hold at a 45-degree angle for 5”, then release. 3×10
Cross-Body Stretch
- Lie on your side – hurt shoulder on the ground – with your hips and knees slightly bent. Extend your lower arm out perpendicular to your body. With your other hand, reach across your body and grab your opposite elbow. Pull upward until you feel a slight stretch, hold for 30 seconds, then release. Repeat 2x
Exercises
- Shoulder Shrugs: 3×10 Make sure to completely relax at the bottom of the shrug
- Scapular retractions: 3×10 Squeeze your shoulder blades together and fully relax in between each rep
- Pendulum exercises: Bend over about 45 degrees at the hips and do counter clock wise swings with your hurt arm. Repeat clock wise, and forward and backwards. Completely relax your arm when performing this. Your body moving back and forth should be making your arm move. Repeat 3×15” each direction
- Wall Climbs: Stand facing a wall and put your hand on the wall. Slowly walk your hand up the wall as far as you can go without pain, and back down. Repeat 3×10.- Progression: Keep going further and further up the wall as tolerated.
- Take a rope/jump rope and hang it over a door. Grab onto each side of the rope with both hands, one on each side of the door. Using your good arm, slowly pull the rope towards the ground. This will bring your hurt arm passively through the range of motion. Don’t use the strength of your bad arm. Let the rope do the work. Go as far as tolerated.- Progression: Go further as tolerated
- Isometric Internal and External Rotation (submaximal effort): Stand with your hands by your side and hurt arm elbow to 90 degrees. Keep your arm in that position and push outwards against a wall or post for 30”. Repeat pushing inwards for 30”. Repeat each exercise 3×30”
Note: These stretches and exercises are meant to relieve pain, not cause it. You should feel a mild to moderate stretch only with exercises, and minimal pain with exercises. If at any time the exercises/stretches cause or increase pain, decrease your level of effort or number of repetitions until pain is gone. Then increase repetitions.
Criteria to advance to phase 2:
- Minimal to no pain or inflammation with daily activities
- Range of motion returning to normal
Phase 2: Goals Weeks 2-4
- Progress with strengthening exercises
- Range of motion is within normal limits
- Use ice to decrease pain when needed
- Continue the above rehab from weeks 0-2
- External Rotation Diagonal Up: Anchor a resistance band at knee level to a sturdy pole. Stand to the side with your hurt shoulder opposite the side where the band is anchored. Reach across the front of your body and pull the band up and above your shoulder, for 5”, then release. Repeat 3×10
- External Rotation/Internal Rotation with band *Limit external rotation to 45 degrees. Repeat 3×10 each exercise.
- Flexion/Extension with band. Extension is performed by extending your arm backward with a straight arm. Repeat 3×10 each exercise.
- Prone Row to External Rotation: Lie face down on a bed or couch where you can hang your arm down loosely. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring your arm up to your side. Hold for 5” and release. Squeeze your shoulder blades again, bend your elbow to 90 degrees towards the ceiling, but externally rotate your shoulder so that your palm is facing the ground. Hold for 5”, then release. Repeat 3×10 each exercise.-Progression: Use 1lb dumbbells up to 5 lbs with each exercise
Criteria to progress phase 3:
- Full, pain-free range of motion
- Full strength with no sign of extreme fatigue
Phase 3: Goals Weeks 4-6
- Improve neuromuscular control
- Increase functional activities
- Isotonic dumbbell exercises
- Continue above rehab from weeks 0-4
- Deltoid DB exercise: Use a 3-5lb dumbbell, with your arms at your sides, bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Raise your arms away from your body to shoulder level. Repeat 3x12Squat to 90-degree elevation: Use a 3-5lb dumbbell, with your arms at your sides, raise your straightened arms to 45 degrees (0 degrees is straight out and 90 degrees is directly sideways) up to shoulder level. Repeat 3×12
- Side lying external rotation: Grab a 3-5lb dumbbell, lay on your side with your hurt arm facing the ceiling. Keep your elbow tucked into your side and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. Externally rotate your shoulder towards the ceiling as far as is comfortable. Repeat 3×12
- Bent over dumbbell row: Use 5-10lb dumbbells, bend your hips to about 60 degrees, let your arms hang down, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and bring your hands to your sides, just below your rib cage. Repeat 3×12
Find out more about the CRYSC Sports Medicine Program by visiting our website. If you would like more information on natural solutions and the athlete, please don’t hesitate to reach out to CRYSC’s Head Athletic Trainer, Julie Graves, at [email protected].
