Hi All:
My son missed almost all of his first year as a D3 pitcher due to shoulder issue. Just received MRI and posterior labrum tear that doc says is small. Recommended rest and PRP injection instead of surgery. Def not the worst news but has anyone had experience with this approach?
I know the approach is to avoid surgery at all costs but Im wondering if this approach is just putting off an inevitable repair. Anyone with any advice would be appreciated.
thx!
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Close to the same minus the PRP. My son just finished his Sophomore year as a D3 pitcher. The summer before his Freshman year, covid summer, he started feeling shoulder pain. MRI showed exactly what you are saying small slap tear of the Labrum. A highly respected doctor at a highly reputable practice recommends immediate surgery. A second highly reputable doctor at a highly reputable practice didn't recommend surgery. The tear was not big enough. PT was recommended. Son did PT and kicked up his workouts, and had no issues for two years. It did take 3-4 months though to get back to normal. A few weeks before this season ended the pain came back. MRI readout shows a bigger tear, and two doctors recommend repair and cleaning up around the rotator cuff, including the doc who recommended PT a few years ago. Son was on the fence but has decided to get surgery which is now scheduled for May 19th, next Thursday. It's a 4-6 month recovery, so he will be back for spring.
As a previous SLAP tear patient myself I say if a doctor recommends PT and PRP over surgery go that route first. My repair happened in my mid 40's and my shoulder has never been the same, could just be age....We are not sorry we went with PT first and now find son going with surgery. That is our experience.
Hi:
thanks for sharing this. So helpful and best of luck to your son in his surgery and recovery.
Is it 4-6 months to start throwing again?
Similar situation. Son also had a small slap tear. When he was a freshman in high school his coach had him catching 5 innings and then pitching the last 2 as a closer. Early spring of his sophomore year he started having shoulder pain. Saw the orthopedic surgeon who said it was not surgical and recommended PT. Did STRICT PT for 6 weeks to build up the muscle around the tear. He is now finishing up his sophomore year of college and hasn't had any issues (knock on wood) and is the starting catcher on a DI team. The surgeon and PT also told him he had to make a choice between pitching and catching. Too much wear on the shoulder to do both. Good luck!
@BaseballDad72 posted:Is it 4-6 months to start throwing again?
To be honest, I don't the answer. My wife went to the appointment. I would think there would be soft-tossing in that time frame but if he only gets to start throwing in 6 months that would be in plenty of time for the spring. If I get a firm answer on that in the next week I will send you a PM.
Hey glad to hear that success story. Very encouraging. My guess is PT and hitting the weight room hard is a big key to protecting tear from getting worse. Thanks for sharing. Fingers crossed for you guys also.
You might want to try a dm to @Branson Baseball.
@BaseballDad72 posted:Hi All:
My son missed almost all of his first year as a D3 pitcher due to shoulder issue. Just received MRI and posterior labrum tear that doc says is small. Recommended rest and PRP injection instead of surgery. Def not the worst news but has anyone had experience with this approach?
I know the approach is to avoid surgery at all costs but Im wondering if this approach is just putting off an inevitable repair. Anyone with any advice would be appreciated.
thx!
Great write up on PRP https://www.painscience.com/ar...sma-does-it-work.php - basically it doesn't work for anything literally ever. If you're a multi-million dollar athlete with money to lose, go for it. Otherwise absolutely don't waste your money.
While I'm all for avoiding surgery, if your son went through a really good comprehensive rehab program (and not for a few weeks either, talking a few months), and things just haven't gotten any better and he's no closer to throwing pain free, then with that evidence it may be helpful. Just know that it's also possible to have that posterior labrum tear before ever having had arm pain, so what he's seeing could be like seeing a bird on top of a stop light. Just because you see it there when the light is green doesn't mean it caused that light to be green.
But if his rehab looked like a lot of rubbing, scraping, needling, stretching, bands, and light weights, then I would say he hasn't gone through a good rehabilitation program and thus surgery wouldn't be my thought.
Has their sports medicine staff spoke about where they were hoping to see him be by 4/8/12 weeks+?
@BaseballDad72 - how did it work out?
Hi:
Fall has been good so far. Son decided to go sidearm. Still has some discomfort but can pitch. Lots of PT. Never did PRP. Think the goal now is to just pitch his innings in season and then no summer ball. Just have fun while he can.
@BaseballDad72 posted:Hi:
Fall has been good so far. Son decided to go sidearm. Still has some discomfort but can pitch. Lots of PT. Never did PRP. Think the goal now is to just pitch his innings in season and then no summer ball. Just have fun while he can.
Thanks. Wishing you and him all the best.
@BaseballDad72 posted:Is it 4-6 months to start throwing again?
I see this thread got bumped up. My son had his labrum surgery on May 19th. Almost exactly four months - two weeks ago - the doc cleared him to resume all activities. So start building up the arm and be ready to pitch in the spring. As I mentioned on this site, in a post with a hidden message seen by some, my son decided to leave the team to focus on grades/internships, etc. The point, though, is that he had a bad tear, an excellent surgical outcome, and was cleared to throw at four months. He has zero pain.
