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Labrum (SLAP) tear surgery tomorrow

jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
I wanted to start this thread the day before my son is scheduled to have surgery to repair a torn labrum. I would like t offer updates as to how the surgery, rehab, and recovery goes. Hoping this will help other players and parents deal with similar situations in the future.
To give some back ground, my son, Junior5, just graduated from high school in Arizona and is committed to play at an NAIA school in Nebraska. He is catcher, so you can imagine all the questions that float through my head about his ability to get back to the level he needs in order to play that position effectively. Junior5 is also been somewhat of a late bloomer physically and never gotten the notoriety of a top player in our area. He was 5’3” 130 lbs. his freshman year and really didn’t grow until his junior year. He is now 6’0” and 195 lbs. He always had been a fundamentally sound player with great leadership skills. I always drew comparisons to Craig Counsell. A hard working player who could play a lot of positions but was never considered the first option at any position. But he always found his way into the lineup. His was the case at every level he played at.
He enjoyed a successful senior year but wasn’t the starting catcher although he was recruited by many NAIA and D3 schools to be a catcher. He played his senior season at First base and when the season was over we searched for summer team where he could get innings behind the plate. His tryout with a Connie Mack team went extremely well. His pop times were 1.93-1.96 average, He is also hit the ball very well. We were approached by the evaluators who were area scouts about how well he did and they liked his skills and told us he was “projectable” down the road. Whether that was them blowing smoke or not, it was the first time anyone at that level approached him or me about his skills on the field. The next weekend he went back for the second round of tryouts and he couldn’t throw. His arm was hurting so bad that he couldn’t complete warm ups. The coaches told him to shut it down and not to worry; he had made the team as their number one catcher.
After all these years of playing catch, hitting ground balls and throwing BP to learn that junior5 had torn labrum was devastating to me as a father who watched this kid have to work extra hard at every level just to prove he belonged. At point where he finally got to the fruits of all his hard work and have this happen doesn’t seem fair.
Watching him function for these past few weeks without baseball is difficult. I know he has long road ahead of him and maybe all the hard work he had to put in the past has prepared him for what he has to o to get back.
I know this got very long, but I wanted to set the stage for future updates as I attempt to share his progression back to the game he loves.
I will post the details of how the surgery went this weekend.
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jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Day before surgery June 29th
Junior5's surgery is later today. Last night it hit me just how much will go into his rehab. A device was dropped of at the house last night that will in effect ice his shoulder. The nurse explained he leave the surgery with the wrap secured to his shoulder and he would attach it to the machine and he would in effect ice his shoulder basically all day for an hour on and an hour off. He would need to do this for anywhere to one to three weeks depending on what the doctor says. The device also included wraps to go around his calves that will work similar to a blood pressure cuff that he should also wear when he is lying down. This is supposed to help stimulate the calf muscles and prevent blood clots.

Needless to say we weren’t prepared for this device being used so frequently.

I will provide an update as to how the surgery goes today. As Junior5 stated in one his posts, This message board is an excellent place to vent and helps get through this process.
infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
jsingerjj,
All my very best wishes to your son in his recovery and for you in supporting and encouraging him through the process.
It certainly can be a long recovery and rehabilitation. The process is not a straight line, either. It takes a ton of mental focus and tenacity to follow the rehab program, to not overdue it or get overly optimistic on the good days and equally to stay even on the tough days.
There is a DIII catcher who was just named a DIII All American and West Region player of the year. He had a major shoulder procedure right after HS.
During his freshman year, he mostly DH'd but returned to catching as a sophomore and got progressively better.
It may take 8-12 months for your son to heal.
This is not a time to be overly optimistic or pessimistic. Take it one day at a time. and help him focus on doing the things necessary every single day to get better and healthy hour by hour and day by day.
Try your best to help him avoid the thinking of how fast he needs to recover.
F FreddieFastball10+ posts
My son had this surgery in February in his freshman year. He is a D1 pitcher and used the Cryocuff like you described. It is a great aid in reducing the swelling after the surgery and he also found it beneficial in supporting his shoulder for sleeping. He had his surgery on a Friday and came home for the weekend. With the reduction in swelling, he was comfortable enough to return to school the following Wednesday in a sling. He started therapy nearly right away and used the cryocuff after that as well. We are 4 months after surgery and he is into his 6th week of the graduated throwing progra and also continuing with exercises and physical therapy. So far, so good. he has responded well to therapy and progressed as hoped but there is still a ways to go.

Its a hard thing but a positive outlook really helps. He missed his season which was difficult for a kid to accept but a decision he personally made as his best option. The therapy was/is a pain and you have to be religious about it. He has never really complained much about the pain, even right after the surgery. He took the approach that, now I'm fixed but I have to heal and get strong again. It seems like a long time but in reality, it flew by. He had to overcome the "fear" of throwing those first few 45' tosses but he once he did so without pain, its like a light went on, I can do this! The key now is to maintain the slow and steady, gradual build. Fall ball is viewed as a return to regular activities (assuming no setback) but he is not looking at it as a return to normal performance. He should be able to get back on the mound, get his feet wet, face batters but there is no rush to air it out. His real time table is the regular season and that will put his recovery at around 11 1/2 months. We hope he makes it.
I wish your son the best as well. Listen to the doctor, listen to his arm, be optimisic but realistic. Give it your best shot and things have a way of working out.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Surgery complete- recovery day 1
The surgery is complete and according to the doctor it went well. He advised that the tear wasn’t a large as he initially thought and that other than the tear everything else in his shoulder was in good shape.
Seeing him come of surgery completely out of it, with his Cryocuff and sling lying there motionless was something I wasn’t prepared for. We got home and into bed and he did well. The numbed the nerves going into his shoulder prior to the surgery and he has no pain as of yet.
Plan for the weekend. Lot so rest and constant use of the Cryocuff. Has his first physical therapy session Tuesday. He will be in his sling for the next 4 weeks except during his therapy.

Lets see how he does once the pain starts to kick in a bit.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Junior5 has completed 3 physical therapy sessions. They all have gone very well with almost no pain. he has stoped taking the pain medication as of Tuesday and just taking tylenol occaisonally.

Overall, i am very suprised at how easy this has been so far. I am concerned that is going abit too easy. He is counting down, 15 more session unitl he is out of the sling.

We'd welcome any feddback on if anyone had a simlar experience. did it go as smoth, if and when he should experience any significant road bloacks.
F FreddieFastball10+ posts
As noted above, my son had this surgery in February. So far, the experience has been similar to your son's. He progressed well right from the beginning but don't be fooled, its still a long process. One thing that the doctor and trainers all emphasized is that there is no rushing the recovery. Its great that there is no pain but you have to reign in the urge to think all is well. When my son finally reached the point at 12 weeks where he was released to begin the throwing program, he was amazed at how "weak" he felt on those first few throws. Despite having no pain and doing the therapy, a certain amount of atrophy does happen and you need to listen to the doctors, come back gradually, slowly increasing the distance. My son just finished his 7th week of throwing. He is now up to 120', this week he has to do 3 sets of 25 throws, 3 days. He can see the strength returning and now understands that if he tried to throw hard right away because he felt good, he would have hurt himself. One other thing that our doctor did was prescribe physical therapy over the summer at a local sports therapy group.While my son had the routine for PT down, he feels that the physical therapists do a really good job of keeping him stretched and emphasizing proper form.They've slowly increased band tensions and the like as he has continued.

good luck with this. We are optimistic on our side, it sounds like you are heading down the same path.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Freddie, thanks for the insight. I am bet when juniro stat sthorwing it will be like starting from scratch.
My major concern is when he heads off to college at the end of August. He will done with the initial 18 Pt sessions here. But hwen he goes up to Nebraska he will be working with the therapists that the college send their athletes to.
Probably not a big concern juts change in the routine.
infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by jsingerjj:
Freddie, thanks for the insight. I am bet when juniro stat sthorwing it will be like starting from scratch.
My major concern is when he heads off to college at the end of August. He will done with the initial 18 Pt sessions here. But hwen he goes up to Nebraska he will be working with the therapists that the college send their athletes to.
Probably not a big concern juts change in the routine.


jsingerjj,
my suggestion would be to try and have this as seamless as possible for your son.
It appears there are 2 ways to do this(might be more and I only am seeing 2.)
The first would be to have his surgeon provide the recommended program to rehab the shoulder and provide that to the school trainers to make sure they are in agreement and will follow the program completely.
The other option is to reach out to the trainers at the college and find out if they have a rehab program for labrum/SLAP repairs. If they do, obtain it and present it to the operating surgeon for review/approval/modification.
It might be that the school will have something completely similar to the program recommended by the surgeon. I would want want to mitigate/eliminate the chances they don't, if you can.
Along way, some things are going to be important:
1.) Range of motion, especially the range of shoulder motion to throw a baseball, is critical. Having those measurements done on a regular but periodic basis is important to determining progress and alterations/additions which might be needed. You want to be starting to throw after achieving adequate ROM in various motions in the shoulder, rather than relying on some specific number of weeks/months that don't take into consideration the ROM progress. Making sure the records from AZ(both doctor and PT) go with your son when he goes to school seems like a good step, also.
2.) Strength is another factor that needs to be monitored carefully along the way, especially as throwing starts and there are good days/bad days necessitating adjustments to the program.
Glad to hear things are progressing and the tear was not as significant when the surgery was done.
Bulldog 19Bulldog 195,000+ posts
The athletic training staff should be more than happy to take the protocol from the surgeon and run with it. One other thing to make sure of is you may communicate with the surgeon's office about HIPAA information and get things signed so they can send information to the staff at school.

Your son is going to have to provide quite a bit of documentation to the athletic training staff and their team physicians before that team physician will clear you to play. Ultimately the team physician at that school has the FINAL SAY and there is NOBODY who can override that.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
As usual, i always learn htings I owuld never thought of on the message board.
Thanks infielddad and bulldog19!!!!!


We have our 1st appointment with the his doctor/surgeon post surgery on Wednesday.
The doctor who did the surgery was very particular about the PT he went to and gave very specific directions. The nurses during post-op all commented about how particular he is regarding his recovery.
He seems to have some impressive credentials. spent time with Dr. James Andrews and the the orothopedic surgeon for the SF Giants.

He already aware that the major part of rehab will be off at college, which is in a smaller town in nebraska.

I have already reached out to the PT the college uses to ake sure insurance and such is accepted. I also asked to have the PT in nebraska contact me to get any special instructions.

I'll keep eveyone updated. i want to be able to help any players done the line who have this same procedure
J junior5100+ posts
Today was the 4th day of physical therapy and my shoulder was tight and sore for the 1st time. My physical therapist said I was lucky to have the nerve block or "luck" for as long as I did; which was about a week. I'm gaining my range of motion back at a pretty good pace; it's nice hearing the words excellent and awesome when they're working on me. I'm excited to get the stiches out tomorrow, but I do know that it is going to come with some pain at therapy when they start doing tissue work. I'm excitedto 2/9ths of the way to being out of this sling so I can sleep and eat without a struggle. Thanks to all of the information, it helps my dad and I out a lot.
C CaBB1,000+ posts
Google "hope Solo's surgery" on utube for some inspiration. I know this sport can be a dirty word on this site but seeing what she went through to repair her labrum is amazing. 12 screws in the labrum/bone and tons of PT to get her where she is today.

The American women have been amazing in the World Cup and she's a big part of their success.

Good luck in your recovery- sounds like you're doing great so far. Keep your positive attitude!
J junior5100+ posts
I'm into my third week of physicl therapy and everything has been going very well. I have had very limited pain and soreness, which is very exciting. My range of motion is growing continuously which is making it easier to be happy. I've watched more baseball than I probably ever have, from tv to th summer teamI was supposed to play for. Out of all of this the most frustrating thing is seeing people not run out a groundball or walk on and off the field. I've thought about how many times I've done this and it is frustrating. The one thing I have want to take from this more than anything is the ability to remember this frustration.

I can't wait to get this sling off... typng with one hand is MISERABLE!
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
From all indication Jeff’s recovery is going well. He has a positive attitude about how the therapy sessions are going and his therapist says this are going just fine. In reading other posts on this topic, I think both of us are staying away from looking at him being ahead/behind schedule and focusing on how feels that particular day. Jeff started taking walks at night to get some exercise and I think for both of us are dealing with the mental part of him not being able to play.
What triggered me to add to this post occurred last night. It was 10:30, I was getting ready for bed flipping through channels getting the watching the highlights of the nights MLB games. I saw that Field of Dreams was on at 11:00pm. I set the record on my DVR to have in saved. As 11:00 rolled around still watching TV, I flipped over to the movie and began watching. I sat there and watched the hold movie. I have seen it a hundred times and always tear up when Ray has catch with his dad. This time, I started to tear up almost from the beginning, Tears continued through the movie which lead to full on cry when Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe explained how he felt when he had the game taken away from him. It touched the most sensitive nerve as father who shares a passion oh this game with his son. At that point I would have given anything to go get Jeff and go out and play a game on catch or hit him balls.
I know he has to the majority of the rehab on his own. He will be away at College when he can start throwing again. There is void in me because I won’t be the one playing catch with him or hitting balls at a time when as father I feel I need to be there like have since he was 4.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Here is the latest update on Junior5s progress.
Last night we had to go to the emergency room as he was having minor chest pain and high blood pressure. He had been experiencing high blood pressure for the past couple of weeks. This was never an issue prior to the surgery.
After a night of tests and monitoring, there appeared to be nothing significantly wrong. The doctor felt the combination of poor diet, lack of exercise and stress led to the high blood pressure.
Being 40, overweight, and relatively inactive for many years this visit sounded very familiar to a visit I had to the emergency room a few years ago. I was surprised that after only 6 weeks of inactivity these symptoms would appear in an 18 year old athlete.
I think my son is learning the value of a sound diet and hopefully it continues throughout his life.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
With less than 2 weeks until Junior5 heads off to college in Nebraska, He seems to be doing a lot better mentally. The fact that he bought catcher’s gear and other equipment has helped. Now I understand why women shop when they are down in the dumps. LOL
The therapy continues to go well. He has his appointment with his surgeon Monday the 15th. At that time he should no longer need to wear the sling. Next week is also the point where he should be able to begin strength therapy. He was really enjoyed working with the PT here as he is former college baseball player and also had Labrum surgery in college. My hope is that he continues to progress with the PT in Nebraska in the manner he has progressed so far.
I have noticed that Junior5 appears to have lost a lot of the muscle mass he had in arms and shoulders. He commented that he has a lot of work to do just to get back to wear he was at the end of his senior year.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
He has never been a workout warrior. But he was dedicated to improving his game. Plenty of hours taking extra BP, infield and such. He has always been a solid kid in his upper body. He just looks flabby around the arms and shoulders.

I don't think you realize how weak you get in such a short period of time. People tell you, but until you witness it for yourself, you can't clearly undestand.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
I have question out there for any who has gone throguh this.

As I said earlier, next week it will be 7 weeks since the surgery. We have out appiontment with the surgeon. We are hoping the Dr. will allow him to catch bullpen and maybe take ground balls with absolutely no throwing.

Has anyone who had this type of surgery begin non throw or hitting actvities at 8 weeks? If so, do you feel it benefit?

My thoguht it would affect one's mental state being able to do anything to feel like they were making baseball progress.
infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
Nope, at 7 weeks, those were not acceptable/approved activities for our son's MLB directed rehab program or from Dr Andrews office protocols.
The mental side is tough, for sure, as has been posted before.
Swinging a bat could, to my thinking, create significant risk of damaging/tearing the healing tissue and/or especially damaging the anchor. Swinging a bat might help him mentally but I expect it would be short term because of the risks it creates in setting back the recovery/rehab. Same with taking ground balls, even though not throwing.
Your son still has to regain range of motion in the shoulder so that it gets very close to 100% in all measurements. I doubt any solid rehab program would permit him to incur the motion he would through swinging a bat before his PT shows a near normal ROM.
Just as important as his ROM, he needs to generate strength in the shoulder in each plane of his range of motion.
jsingerjj, this is a very tough, long and tedious process. There just are no quick fixes. There are too many variables.
I would encourage you to support and maximize your son's recovery by looking at this over the long term rather than possibly causing something negative to happen by what you might be seeing in the short term.
There are no short cuts as tough as that is to accept.
Last edited by infielddad
M maisMember
I was just searching SLAP tears as I had the surgery before my freshman year of college (Outfield) and thought I'd send a reply. Make sure his confidence stays up and he doesn't rush anything. I went to a Physical therapy office for a month and the fall semester started so I continued at my school. With the amount of athletes that go in and out of the trainers office I don't think I received nearly what I needed. I don't remember what i started week for week but I do remember from reading up that my doctor might of babied my recovery with what I could do by comparing where other's were at on forums just as this. A few months after I had shoulder impingment.Right now I'm 25 and I can honestly say I wish I never had the surgery.
M maisMember
I wish him the best. Like infielddad said I wouldn't be trying to catch a bullpen (without throwing) even if his doctor said its ok. He's been playing baseball all his life and he's still young. The game is still going to be second nature to him and being a catcher he's going to need a full recovery and a strong arm to get him by 4 years of catching drills. I didn't know what practice was until I went to college. Infield outfield felt like a full game.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Mais, thanks for the insight. I am also very concerned about the treatment he gets once he heads to college. His surgeon and therapist work almost exclusively together and baseball arm injuries are their primary focus. I have already contacted the therapist that works with the team to ask he would continue the same program and provide the reports the current PT is providing the surgeon. I also made certain that there are no issues with the insurance.

Hopefully, the transiton to the new PT will be a smooth one.
J HJ H5,000+ posts
jsingerjj- I share the same concerns with respect to my TJ surgery recovery. In my opinion, it's largely about open communication.

One question I will pose in light of your previous inquiry about the catching bullpens scenario. I don't mean for this to come off rudely in any sort of way, but I don't really know how to word it so that it is not so blunt. But here it goes...why does he want to catch bullpens? The rehab process is so long he'll have plenty of time to worry about rehabbing the rest of his baseball skills back into form. Why is it such a rush to do so now? Is it because he is anxious (he's stated his frustration directly to me)? Or is it because he wishes to continue to improve in baseball? If it is the first reason, I urge patience. The second, I urge patience as well. All will come in time with respect to the surgery. There is a reason why the protocols are written the way they are, and a reason why the medical professionals that have proven to be successful in these aspects have come up with their methods.

Hope this helps. Again, sorry for being rather blunt about it. Don't want to be too harsh. Your son is obviously both talented and passionate, and I've had direct conversations with him about many of these things. Rushing, in my opinion and from the advice I've been given, is a huge no-no.
M maisMember
Your welcome. Like everyone's said patience is the best advice we can give. Everyone's different and will regain ROM and heal from the surgery. Just a simple jog I could feel how underdeveloped my back and shoulder were to keep my shoulder joint in place. I rushed things a little more than I should and had the goal of being ready for a season that started in 10 months. I mentally played up my progression in my head. I was 18, stupid, and just wanted to get back on the field.

Talk to him about redshirting. He has a lot to lose if he reinjures his labrum or even tears his rotator cuff. During this time he can concentrate more on school and save a year of eligibility,
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Just to clarify, his doctor, college coach, and PT have said then WHEN he has the stength and ROM, he could participate in some no throwing baseball activivites. I am confortible whit all their credentials, experience, and looking out for the best interets of my son.
The point of my question was does anyone have any experience with the time frame, 8 week, 12 weeks, etc.
From a Junior5's perspective cathcing bullpen is a very important step. it allows him to get a feeling for the pitchers at time during fall balls when his school has a shortage fo catcher's (some play football). In his situation, When he gets healthy, he has good chance at being the 3rd catcher, which means he would travel as a freshman.

Mais- as far as redshirting. I dont think that is a plan of his. He wants to graduate in 4 years and play as much healthy basebal as he can, then move on the next stage of his life.
M maisMember
No problem. I was just throwing that out there. Now a days a masters degree is like the new bachelors.

I'm about to head out to vitaminshoppe in a little to pick up a multi glucosamine supplement for joints (Animalflex). My buddy who pitched swears by this and it can't do any harm taking. Bring it up to your doctor.

Just from experience I've on occasion bought a bottle of ORGANIC Vegetable Juice and after drinking, the next morning waking up I have had little to no inflamation at all in my shoulder. For me it beats the anti-inflamatory affect of tylenol/motrin/aleve ect. Organic, Supermarket processed vegetable juice does nothing for me.

Can you tell me how much was the Cryocuff and if it was no cost on your insurance from your orthapedic. thanks
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Junior5 had his last visit to his surgeon before heading off to shcool next week. Everyhting is progressing well and his now allowed to run and do agility actvities. The doctor provided a 20 page document outlining the the rehab plan and the details of the injury and the suregery that we will provde to the PT in Nebraska.

He will be home in mid-October to see his surgeon. If his ROM and stregnth continues to progress he could at that point begin some baseball activities.

Mais- Junior5 really like the cryocuff. He used it as much as he could. I highly recommend using one. Yes our insurance company covered it.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
I wanted to provide an update. After his last PT session in Arizona on Aug. 22nd his ROM continued to progress. He has begun some strengthening exercises with very light weight. This was actually the 1st therapy session I attended as I wanted to make sure my son had everything he needed as far as documentation for the PT in Nebraska.
He has been cleared to do lower body and core exercises as long it didn’t involve a bar (meaning no squats or the like). He is also cleared for running, speed and agility exercises. I think this is a big step for him mentally as it allows for him to work his lower body, core, speed and agility which has been an opportunity in which to improve in the past.
We got him all moved in at his school and he had two visits to his new PT this past week. My best comparison between the two PTs is a Mercedes to a Honda. The PT in AZ was top of the line. The have a number of MLB clients and pull out all the stops from extra heat/cold treatment, electric stimulation, and massage. His averga PT session would take 1 and ½ hours. His 1st session at the new PT was 45 min. The new PT is following all of the protocol outlined by the surgeon and the facility is the much the same. However, the extras he no longer gets is a bit disappointing.
The biggest difference in the short time he has been away has been his mental state. He mentioned how he enjoyed being on the field while hitting and throwing activities were going on. Even though he is a spectator except for throwing some extra soft toss to teammates (left handed). This has been huge for him. He is part of the team while all summer he was alone without any team participation.
He comes home in Mid-October for doctor visit. If he stays on track, he could begin the path to developing his throwing motion and doing some limited baseball activities, then starting a throwing program in late October.
J junior5100+ posts
Today was first day of the fall practice and we did testing activites. I ran and participated in the activites that I was able to. This absolutely sucked for me. I hate being that kid that has an excuse; especially on a baseball field. Another thing that bothered me about today was the fact that i've had minimal oppertunity to get in shape... The testing was all about what shape you are in. I've ran a handful of times and haven't been able to work on my core and legs. I'm disappointed with the practice, mainly because I was that kid today and till october ATLEAST. I also know this process is this way, it's going to be miserable, but I have to take it step by step and make the best of it. I guess the best way to do it is write a bunch of run-on sentences and not make sense...
M metsfan1Member
Junior5,
I work at Shoulder Shield, I wanted to say that off the bat, our product was invented by a guy that had slap tear surgery by Dr. Andrews in Birmingham. He had difficulty getting loose and staying that way after his surgery/rehab. He invented the shirt while still playing college ball and was able to get back to throwing sub 2sec pop times as a catcher.
The shoulder shield is a compression shirt with a neoprene sleeve and if you would like to try one you can go to our website and it has our phone numbers and emails. It works and was designed for this scenario as well as injury prevention.
Not necessarily trying to get a free plug, but shoulder shield was started after having this unfortunate baseball related injury and it works. We have some big name users that can attest to that.
shouldershield.com

Moody
shouldershield.com
cell:662.419.2400
TXCubFanTXCubFan10+ posts
Jsinger,

My son tore his labrum in an acute injury (as opposed to wear and tear) on Jan 30, 2011. He had surgery Feb 22, 2011. Son is an infielder. His ortho is a highly regarded sports medicine surgeon at a teaching hospital in Chicago. From a timing perspective, due to son's place in recruiting timeline, surgeon allowed him to progress at a faster rate than he would an established college athlete - note it was still safe...so here goes from a timing perspective:

Weeks 1 - 6 very limited - shoulder has to heal very limited pendulum swings after week 3. Surgeon said labrum has to heal.

Weeks 8 - 12 - PT with a sports medicine PT who specializes in shoulders. Son was progressed as his ROM and flexibility allowed him to...

He did not PICK UP a baseball for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks he was allowed to start swinging a broomstick with a ping pong ball. He returned to hitting at 14 weeks.

At 12 weeks he started very light throwing - there was a protocol which he followed dutifully...I will also say that even on his not PT days, he would go to the PT center and work the bands and the shaky stick thing (not sure what it's called).

At 16 weeks, he was allowed to return to right side of the infield (2nd base).

At 20 weeks, he returned to the left side of the infield - BUT - being cleared to return and getting velocity back are very different.

At almost 6 months to the day, he felt like his arm was back strength wise.

All this being said - each case is different because of different healing rates, flexibility, etc. I do know that for pitchers this is a much longer process due to strain on arm..not sure about catchers. I will also tell you that at 7 weeks my son wanted to run with his team during pre-game and surgeon would not allow due to jarring motion and potential for non-healing...

Good luck and as everyone has said - it is heartbreaking to suffer an injury that requires surgery. THere is light at the end of the tunnel - it just takes a lot of time.
Last edited by TXCubFan
F FreddieFastball10+ posts
Son is just over 6 months from surgery and began light flat mound work last week after a 12 week graduated long toss rehab. He feels arm strength is very good and coming up but stamina is a ways a way. Will be on a low pitch count (like max 25) in fall and work more on mechanics and building overall strength and stamina. Target of full return remains about 1 year from surgery which is February. There is no rushing this. Follow the plan, do the work, remain patient.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
TXcub and Freddie, thanks for the feedback. interesting my son is saying he is having some pain for the 1st time.
Can you share if this common in your experiences. Again my junior5 is away at college. I am not sure the level of pain. He has been running during team activities and I beleive his rehab protocol is at a satge where he is increasing his exercises.
My initial thought that as he goes through the rehab and increases his exercises he would experience some pain.

Any Thoughts??
F FreddieFastball10+ posts
My son never really complained much of pain other than rehab type pain, more like sore after a workout stuff. Nothing that approached what had prior to the surgery.
As his throwing program progressed, he was totally issue free until he got to the 150' phase and then he experienced some discomfort and a little swelling. We backed it down for a couple weeks and then he progressed past that point and to 180 and finally on to the flat mound phase. Each step of the way he is finding that there are no shortcuts. When you get to a level, you build strength at that level and then move to the next. When he first resumed throwing, he felt fine but could really notice the atrophy of the shoulder that took over quickly in the sling/down period. He felt like everything was "weak". That feeling passed after the first couple of weeks of light throwing as things firmed up some but he hasn't forgotten that sensation and is taking it slowly.
TXCubFanTXCubFan10+ posts
Jsinger,

Son never complained of pain. He did state that it took him a lot longer to warmup - arm felt a bit tight. He called PT who told him that was fine, and in fact better than a post op who felt no tightness - this was at 5 months after surgery. The old adage in sports medicine is let pain be your guide. So, if he is feeling pain, he needs to RUN, not walk, to PT (as opposed to athletic trainer) and figure out what's going on...no reason to fret as I have heard that some players develop irritation - and biceps tendonitis...and obviously, would recommend that he shut down completely until he's checked out by PT. Keep us posted.
Last edited by TXCubFan
TXCubFanTXCubFan10+ posts
Hi Bulldog,

From my experience, son's PTse had expertise that the ATs did not. Also, surgeon wanted PT to run his program, but said he could see AT on non-PT days (at school). Also, PT school is much more difficult to get into than AT - which in most cases requires only a BS whereas, PT- in most states requires an MS. All that said, I'm sure there are exceptions and I'm sure there are very fine ATs...I just know that in son's case, AT would have referred us to PT anyway...
Bulldog 19Bulldog 195,000+ posts
quote:
which in most cases requires only a BS whereas, PT- in most states requires an MS.


Yep and you can be a PT with an art degree... Many PT programs have about the same amount of related education as an AT program; they just are that much more in debt!

Don't get me wrong; I work with some excellent PTs. At least one of them have only a bachelors degree. In fact states don't require a specific degree; the APTA has decided that the DPT is the new "standard" and everybody else is being grandfathered in.

That said, when it becomes time to begin throwing programs and such, the athletic trainer is the best bet in many cases. PTs do not have the time nor the experience typically to execute a throwing program or any other athletic functional progression. In our company, the athletic trainer takes over much more of the rehab process at the time functional activities are needed.

For me, much of my rehab gets referred to PT not because I don't have the skills or education to do it, but because I don't have the time to do it with my athletes.
J junior5100+ posts
I just got back to reading the great responses in this thread. Thanks to all of you. I have been constantly working my body back into shape and am very happy with where I am. My physical therapist have come to the conclusion that I shouldshut running down for a a week or so because my shoulder will be very sore the day after. Sadly, I have ran into the day that makes you realize how much you aren't going anywhere. Consistancy is nice but feels like the lightat the end of the tunne will never get here. I am very thankful for the coaching staff andallthe helpI get. This is the reason why I chose to come here!
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
We haven’t updated this post in while. Thought I might share where Junior5 is at in his rehab. He is now 15 weeks post surgery. He has been continuing his PT 2-3 times per week. He is progressing according to plan. His range of motion is back over 100. He continues to progress in strengthening his shoulder.
The only set back occurred a few weeks ago when he would feel pain in shoulder after running. He started running again this week and has no pain.
Fall practices at his school wrapped up last week. He spent a lot of time on the bike, umpiring inter-squad games and basically doing work on his own. He recently started doing some bottom hand soft toss as tee work. His coach has been fantastic in my opinion. He talks to him one on one at least once a week, asking him about the rehab and telling my son how impressed he is with his work ethic and participation with the team.
He comes home this weekend and we have visit with the surgeon. Hopefully he will get cleared to start the throwing program.
I have to say 3 and ½ months into this, I am truly proud of how he has taken this set back and turned it into a positive. He has been able to adjust to being 1500 miles away from home dealing with college classes and new people.
My hope is that the throwing program will be as successful as the other PT has gone so far.
Again, I have to give major props to his head coach and all the coaches at Junior5’s school. You hear stories about how kids get lost in the program when they are injured. This definitely NOT what we have experienced.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Today was a big day!!!! Junior5 had his appointment with his Surgeon. He is not 4 months post surgery. The doctor said everything looks really good.

He asked if he had started lifting wieghts. My son has not as he didn't think he was able to. As a result the doctor recommended he wait 2 weeks before starting his throwing program.

The positive is that he can start a normal lifting program as well as hit.

We went to the cages this evening and hit took some swings. He said he felt great with no pain or tightness in his shoulder.
J junior5100+ posts
It has been about 2 weeks since I've started lifting and hitting. Since then everything has gone well. I haven't had any set backs. Yesterday I started my throwing program and my shoulder felt good. I didn't have much of anything on the ball but just being able to throw a baseball was easily the best experience since May 27th.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Here is another update. Junior5 is back home for he holiday. He finished step 7 of his ITP and started step 8. Basically he is at 120'. step 7 was 2 rounds and step 8 goes to 3 rounds with 25 throws each round. He should finish step 8 before he heads back to school this weekend. He has to complete each step three times without pain before he goes to the next step, throwing every other day.

He has had no real issues. I think the main issue is that with each step the 2nd day he tends to be tight all the way through and has some soreness the next day. The 1st day he did 120', he couldn't finish and he had to start that step from the beginning.

He is done with PT other than his throwing program and is able to workout and hit without any limitations.

From a hitting perspective, he has commented that there are days where his hands just don't go through the ball like they should. His thought is that is fatigue and on those days he focuses on his lower half.

I am very impressed with how well he knows his body. He knows how his body should react and is much more aware of his mechanics both throwing and hitting. He didn't have this awareness before this injury.

He heads back to school on Jan. 1st. His coach has already told him that he will be practicing with the varsity and that he doesn't want to rush him back. However, he will have the opportunity to contribute if he is healthy.

Considering where he was last June. This may have truly been a blessing in disguise
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Latest update- Junior5 has experienced his 1st significant setback.

Last week as he started step 8 (120’ 3 sets of 25 throws) he felt some pain in his shoulder blade similar to the impingement he felt when all of this started. He went to his doctor, they confirmed that shoulder has no damage and still looks good.

They diagnosis was that muscles surrounding the shoulder weren’t strong enough to handle the 120” for 75 throws. They are having go back to step 6 (90” 2 sets of 25 throws), go back to doing some PT and that should get him back on track.

He saw his PT this morning, and he wants him to stay at 90” until he thinks the shoulder is strong enough to move to 120”. It appears he is going to be at least 4 weeks behind the projected completion of his throwing program.

My thought is that this isn’t a bad thing. He will continue to gain strength. As many of you have said in the past, this is an injury that has no definite time table. He just has to go with what his body is telling him.

He starts practice next week, He is still able to hit, catch bullpens, and participate to the extent where he isn’t throwing. I am still confident he could see some playing time as he was crushing the ball when he was home. (we all know if you are hitting, they coach will find a way to get you at bats).

Again, I have to say the kid is working his A$$ off and I am a very proud dad for the way he has handled this injury.
F FreddieFastball10+ posts
My son had a similar setback at around the 150'mark.
He shut down for a couple of days and did exactly the same 90' 2X 25 for a couple of weeks and built back up to where he could make the longer throws.

He then resumed the schedule and while a little bit behind was fine for the beginning of school and the ortho released him for full activity. The school handled him cautiously in the fall and while he did all workouts was restricted to bullpen work to reacquire mechanics and stamina and was held out of "live scrimm" to prevent him from trying to prove he was back all at once. I believe that was the right call.

He is now doing offseason throwing with no issues and expects to be full ready for the season. We will see how being he responds back to live situations and stamina but I can attest that when he lets one go, the "buzz" is back. its been a long time since I heard that sweet sound and we are cautiously optimistic.
J junior5100+ posts
Today I caught bullpens for the first time since the middle of May and it was noticeable. The usual comfort I have just wasn't there, but again it has been a while and I can't expect to jump right back into game shape. Tomorrow I get the opportunity to take part in practice, hitting and defensively with limited to no throwing. I'm very anxious to see how it will end up. I'm struggling with the concept of not being able to go out and perform like I usually I do. It also doesn't help that I am competing for an opportunity to play sometime this year. It sucks that working back from an injury is during my freshman year and I've already missed so much of it. I guess I need to be patient and focus on the things I can control, my effort and attitude.
J junior5100+ posts
I needed a place to vent a little bit. The hardest thing for me lately has been working on my throwing program and working on my swing. It's really hard to keep on working while not being able to see any direct results besides a hard hit ball off of the tee. The thing I compare it to is continuously doing conditioning without being able to see the results in the late innings of a game. It's a struggle that only makes the long days of a freshman college baseball season even harder than it already is, and the only thing you can do is pick your head up and keep grinding.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
This is not the update I wanted to provide. I can say that my son is probably at the lowest point in this whole process. As I mentioned before her had his 1st setback in late December. He finished the 90’ ITP with no problem. The 1st time he attempted 120’ he couldn’t get through it. He was able to get into see his surgeon the day before he headed back to school. He advised that everything looked good structurally. They had him go back to therapy to work on strength. He worked back through the 90” phase with no issues. Last night he tried 120’ again and could not get through the 2nd set before he felt pain in the front and back of his shoulder.
Obviously this is has taken an emotional toll on him and me both. The hardest thing to deal with is the self doubt that is setting in. He is 7 months and 1 week post surgery. I spoke with his PT who is working with him at school this morning and he advised that he appears to have the strength but that his stamina may be the thing that is keeping him form progressing. He is going to meet with my son today and then speak with his surgeon.
As parent the thing I am struggling with is that he is 1500 miles away, He is working as hard as he can and I am concerned about the level of stress the kid must be going through maintaining a 3.5 GPA, attending practice, going to PT and doing everything he needs to do to get back.
Another issue is that he has been hitting the ball really well. So much so that he made the travel squad even though he can’t play defense. I imagine the extreme high he is getting from being successful and then the low of not progressing with his throwing program is very difficult to deal with.
This is such an emotional roller coaster that he as player and me as a parent was not prepared for.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Been a long time since I've visited the message board.

Wanted to provide an update. Unfortunately it probably isn't the update player who are going through this want to hear.

Since the last update almost a year ago. My son made the travel roster, even though he wasn't able to play defense. He got 6 at bats the whole season. He spent most of the games charting pitches and warming up pitcher sin the bullpen.

He had numerous set backs with his throwing program at the 120, 150, and 180 foot stages. He completed the program pain mostly pain free in May, which was 10 months post surgery. He came home and played summer ball. He played pretty well but his throws to down to second didn't have a lot on them. Midway through summer ball he became frustrated. At that point he decided he was just gonna let it loose and play as long as he could.
The last game of summer ball he hurt the shoulder again. He gave it some rest before going back to school for fall ball.

He had a couple good weeks and then the pain started again. At that point he hung it up. He couldn't remember the last time he felt 100% on a baseball field.

He worked so hard and was dedicated to getting the best physical shape of his life. He probably could have kept playing as a 1st baseman or DH. But he was always more a defensive catcher and wasn't going to be a prototypical 1B or DH.

He still part of the program as student assistant and is able to keep his scholarship. He has great relationship with his coach and is getting great experience as he wants to get into coaching.

I don't know what he could have done differently. Its been a coupe months since he hung it up and he seems very happy and is really enjoying the college experience.

He has taken up golf, which I explained can more you look more foolish than a hard slider or good change up.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
quote:
Originally posted by jsingerjj:
I don't know what he could have done differently. Its been a coupe months since he hung it up and he seems very happy and is really enjoying the college experience.


There is life after baseball, he will get used to it and so will you. Smile

Best of luck to your son.
jsingerjjjsingerjj10+ posts
Thanks for the comments.

One thing I truly thankful is that his college coach has been great. Last year when he was going through rehab, His cosch met with him one on one almost weekly. he called me about once a month.
The conversation about hanging it up went very well and he is doing everything to keep my son part of the program and seems to taken an interest in helping him develop as coach.

My biggest advice to kids, is to really pick a college with the idea that of you have stop playing, is it place they can continue to get their education and be happy doing so.
S stix24Member

As others have mentioned before.  Thank you for posting your son's progress, both the good and sometimes difficult days.   As a Dad who has a 15 year old with the same prognosis, I echo pretty much everything you said in your earlier posts.  I'm not sure I'm ready to undertake what's ahead for my son, but choosing not to do the surgery would basically mean hanging them up in his sophomore year of High School.  Your son is an amazing person.  Simply going through the process in the manner he did shows the courage and dedication he has.  He will be a success even though it may not be on the diamond as a player.  Thanks again....

S SusieE.Member

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your son's story. My son (baseball player) had posterior labrum tear surgery on 9/17/13, with 4 anchors. It's very helpful to get advice from others who have been through it. I appreciate you sharing the ups and downs along your journey. I wish your story had a different ending, but hopefully your son is happy at college.

 

Sue

J junior5100+ posts

Susie E,

Every once in a while I come back to read through what I went through while recovering from this injury and I am very thankful that my dad put this up here for him and I to add to. Your post caught my eye because of the mention of a different ending. For a while I was under the same thought process you are but now more than a year removed from my decision I could not be more thankful for what happened. I've spent the last year as a student assistant for an NAIA school who has given me the ability and opportunities to chase my new dream of making a career out of coaching. I also spent this past summer coaching for a top high school scout team out of Arizona. Most of all I am happy with where the game of baseball has taken me and although I still have dull pain in my shoulder multiple times a week, I am able to enjoy and grow in the game of baseball without the fear of having to make that next throw. 

 

In the end it isn't about whether my baseball career followed the path I wanted, it's more about whether it is following I path that puts a smile on my face. And at least for now that has never been more fitting than it is today.

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