San Antonio, Texas 78253
Physical Therapy After Shoulder Labral Repair
Rehab After SLAP and Bankart Repairs
A torn labrum can make your shoulder feel unreliable, and surgery to repair it is only the start of trusting it again. For the first several weeks, the repair needs protection, and your surgeon will want you to avoid certain positions. At Texas Alliance Physical Therapy in Alamo Ranch, we’ll follow your surgeon’s protocol closely, then help you rebuild the strength and stability to get back to work, the gym, or your sport.
Why Physical Therapy Matters After Labral Repair
The labrum is a ring of tough cartilage around the edge of your shoulder socket.
It deepens the socket so the ball of your arm bone stays in place, and the biceps tendon attaches to the top of it.
It can tear from a fall, a dislocation, heavy lifting, or years of throwing.
During surgery, the torn labrum is stitched back down to the bone with small anchors.
That repair takes months to fully heal.
Physical therapy keeps your shoulder from stiffening while it heals,
without stressing the repair, and then rebuilds the muscles that help hold the joint steady.
SLAP vs. Bankart Repair: What’s Different in Rehab
Labral repair shoulder precautions depend on which part of the labrum was fixed. The two most common repairs are:
SLAP Repair
A SLAP tear is at the top of the labrum, right where the biceps tendon attaches. It’s common in throwing athletes and in people who’ve fallen on an outstretched arm. Because the biceps pulls on that spot, you’ll likely be asked to avoid carrying things or resisting with your elbow for the first several weeks.
Bankart Repair
A Bankart tear is at the front of the labrum and usually happens when the shoulder dislocates.
Early on, you may be told to limit how far you turn your arm outward,
and to stay out of the raised, rotated position you’d use to throw a ball.
If your tear came from a dislocation, our
Shoulder Dislocation & Instability
page covers more about that injury.
Some people have a different type of repair, or a biceps procedure done at the same time.
Your therapist will go over your specific precautions at your first visit.
Shoulder Labral Repair Protocol
The labral repair protocol shoulder surgeons give their patients usually follows the same basic order, though the timing varies from one surgeon to the next.
Weeks 0 to 6: Protecting the Repair
Expect to wear a sling most of the day for about a month. We’ll move your shoulder gently, staying inside the limits your surgeon set. Your elbow and hand still need to move too, so you’ll do a few simple exercises for them at home while the shoulder rests.
Weeks 6 to 12: Getting Your Motion Back
When the sling comes off, your arm will probably feel stiff and a little weak. That’s normal. Now you’ll slowly start lifting and moving it on your own, and we’ll add some light rotator cuff and shoulder blade exercises along the way.
Months 3 to 6: Building Strength and Stability
Strengthening gets more challenging, and exercises start to test the shoulder in the positions you’ll need for work, lifting, or sports. This is where a lot of people start to feel like their shoulder is theirs again.
Returning to Sports
Most people can get back to running or riding a bike pretty early, since those don’t put much stress on the shoulder.
Anything with throwing or contact is a different story.
Those usually take six months or more.
For pitchers and other overhead athletes, we’ll start a throwing program with light tosses and build up slowly from there.
If you notice a sudden jump in pain, significant swelling, numbness,
drainage from your incision, or a fever, contact your surgeon right away.
Physical Therapy Treatment After Labral Repair
Your plan may include:
Range-of-Motion Exercises
Gentle movements help you get your shoulder motion back without pushing past the limits your surgeon set for each stage.
Strengthening and Stabilization Exercises
Strengthening the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles gives the joint better support. Later exercises challenge the shoulder to stay steady while you lift, push, or move quickly.
Manual Therapy
Hands-on techniques may help loosen a shoulder that’s gotten stiff after time in a sling.
Movement Control Training
These exercises help your shoulder muscles fire in the right order, so the arm feels steady and coordinated, not shaky, when you reach or catch something.
Sport and Work Training
Toward the end of rehab, we’ll practice the specific movements you need, whether that’s overhead lifting at your job, swimming laps, or throwing.
Kinesiology Taping
Tape may be used during certain exercises to give you feedback on where your shoulder is positioned.
Get Back to Using Your Shoulder
Whether you’re preparing for labral repair surgery or already working through recovery, a plan makes the months ahead much easier. We work with many San Antonio area surgeons and follow their protocols closely, from the first protected weeks to your return to sports. Schedule your first visit at our Alamo Ranch clinic.
Conditions We Treat
Upper Body Pain
Lower Body Pain
Texas Alliance Physical Therapy
San Antonio, Texas 78253
Frequently Asked Questions
About Labral Repair
Small tears can settle down, especially with physical therapy and a break from the activities that aggravate them. The labrum doesn’t get much blood flow, though, so larger tears may not heal on their own. If your shoulder keeps catching, hurting, or feeling unstable after a solid round of therapy, talk to an orthopedic surgeon.
Most of the time, we start with physical therapy. That means easing up for a while on the things that set it off, like heavy overhead lifting or throwing, and strengthening the muscles around your shoulder so they do more of the work of holding the joint steady. If you’ve given that a fair try and your shoulder still catches or feels like it might give out, that’s when surgery is worth discussing with your doctor.
Plan on four to six months before most everyday and gym activities feel normal. Throwing and contact sports take longer, sometimes up to a year, depending on the repair and your sport.
For many patients, within the first week or two, once your surgeon gives the go-ahead. Bring your protocol to your first visit, and we’ll match each stage to it.
Most of the time, we start with physical therapy. That means easing up for a while on the things that set it off, like heavy overhead lifting or throwing, and strengthening the muscles around your shoulder so they do more of the work of holding the joint steady. If you’ve given that a fair try and your shoulder still catches or feels like it might give out, that’s when surgery is worth discussing with your doctor.
Not for a while. Most throwers don’t start a structured throwing program until about four to six months after surgery, and they build up slowly with short, easy tosses. Your surgeon and therapist will decide together when your shoulder is ready.
Have more questions? Contact Us.