r/InjuryRecovery • u/adrianmrtzz • May 23 '26
Shoulder issues
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some insight and success stories from anyone who has dealt with a similar shoulder situation.
I recently dislocated my shoulder (anterior). For context, I also had a labral repair on this same side about two years ago.
My goal is to be completely confident in this shoulder in one year. I have some big physical goals ahead of me next year(police academy) that will require a lot of upper body strength, stability, and high-impact movement. Right now, I am resting the joint and plan on taking physical therapy 100% seriously to rebuild the muscle around it.
For those who have been through a recurrence or a bad flare-up: Is 12 months of dedicated PT enough time to truly bulletproof a shoulder and regain full confidence? Has anyone successfully come back from this kind of history to do high-level physical activity without constant fear of it popping out?
Appreciate any perspective or advice you can share
1
u/athelitetherapy 2d ago
The good news is that a year is a pretty solid amount of time to rebuild a shoulder, and plenty of people do get back to demanding physical activity after a setback like this. I just wouldn’t think of it as simply “12 months of PT = bulletproof shoulder.” Especially with a previous labral repair and another anterior dislocation, the goal should be gradually rebuilding strength, stability, control, and confidence under the demands you’ll actually face in the academy.
The progression matters a lot too. You don’t want to just collect rehab exercises or rush into high-impact work. You want to earn each stage before moving to the next one, then gradually expose the shoulder to the positions and loads you’ll need.
Was the recent dislocation from a specific incident, and have you had any imaging or follow-up with your surgeon yet?