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I am a 2015 LHP and just looking to get some thoughts on a labrum (SLAP) tear. Whenever I have had soreness, it has always been in my shoulder, but nothing severe. However, until 2 days ago, my arm had been feeling great. Now I have a pinching feeling in the joint and the back muscles of the shoulder are sore (which is usually where I get sore). I am guessing this is because when I do not pitch, the rest of the week I play CF, so I do not give my arm much rest.  I tend to worry about this kind of stuff, so while researching it, the symptoms lead me to a SLAP tear. The trainer thinks it is just a strain of the shoulder but I also know labrum tears are hard to detect. Also, in case it helps, last fall I sat 80-81 and so far this spring I sit 82-83, so there has been an increase in velocity since the offseason. I do not get a shooting pain or a sharp pain when throwing, it just gets sore and the pinching feeling comes the day after, but I have full range of motion. As part of my daily routine, I do my theraband workouts as well as the 2 lb dumbbell workouts. If there was a labrum tear, would it be obvious (i.e. velocity loss, control loss, decreased range, extreme pain while throwing)? With a labrum tear, does the pain stay constant or is it an aggrivated pain? It seems that it wouldve hurt me at the beginning of the season if it was a tear. Should I request an MRI from the doc or am I just stressing myself out?

I have already talked with my coaches and I will be resting my arm for the next few days.

Sorry for the length.

2019 LHP

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Hello,  I am sure you'll get lots of good advice here. I'm not an expert, but others can chime in who are.

 
I'll start with the suggestion to go to a qualified Sports Med doc, not just your school trainer.  I can't tell if you saw the doc yet, maybe you have.  

 

Quick story, but in the process of recovering from a broken pitching thumb last spring, my son's (a 2013 P) ortho doc and a really really good pitching PT identified issues in his shoulder that concerned them. In hind site we think that this issue had probably been the cause of some 'tendinitis'. He got great advice, great PT, specific band work and other drills you might not be aware of, and it headed off what could have been an ongoing issue through HS and college bball.  Maybe that is all you need.

   

 

Go to the experts, and be ready to learn all you can about how your arm works!  Maybe you can head off a future problem. 

 

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

 

You are just a sophomore and this is the time to really take care of your arm. Maybe you have something they can address and help you to build up for future endurance / arm health.

Baseball mom has given you great advice.

The pinching feeling can be caused by an impingement. If not taken care of it might lead to a tear.  There are different types of impingements, my son suffered from cortacoid impingement and took about a year to diagnose properly. A loose/tight shoulder capsule can create that pinching feeling, as examples.

 

There are so many things going on with the shoulder during the throwing motion so

don't second guess or self diagnose, go to a doctor for an evaluation. 

 

You are too young to have these issues, so take care of it now before some real damage occurs.

 

Let us know how it goes.

FP,

Please talk to your parents very soon about seeing an orthopaedist who specializes in shoulders and elbows.  Depending on your health insurance, you may have to visit your family doctor first for a referral.

Try not to imagine the worst about your shoulder pain.  A SLAP tear is a pretty serious injury for a pitcher, and there's no reason for you to focus on that before seeing a doctor.  Many shoulder problems can be corrected with physical therapy, exercise, stretching, and rest.

If the orthopaedist diagnoses something serious, I encourage you or your parents to ask people on this message board for referrals to the best doctors in your area.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

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