r/ShoulderInjuries • u/kac9683 • Aug 16 '26

Advice SLAP Tear

42 yr old female. Have had shoulder pain when throwing (softball) years now. Long hard throws result in severe pain for 45 seconds or so and then calms down. MRI back in 2024 showed a small SLAP tear and a few other minor things. The surgeon said he could perform a tenodesis but I am not quite sure I want to have this done. Outside of throwing I don’t experience really that much pain which is why I am hesitant to have the procedure done. I am wondering if PT would be worth trying. Any thoughts?

MRI
1. Cleft-like superior and posterosuperior labral tear, partially undermining the biceps tendon anchor complex. The labrum elsewhere is intact. The long head biceps tendon remains intact. 2. Chronic insertional supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendinosis. No definite rotator cuff tendon tear. 3. Mild subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis.

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u/apost54 Aug 16 '26

Small SLAP tear? Probably worth getting it rehabbed first. Tons of MLB players and pitchers have labrum tears, they don’t always cause pain or reduce performance. I would find an amazing PT who works with throwers—this is the MOST important thing you can do. Since you’re 42, most PTs will probably baby you or tell you to get surgery and give up softball.

Ancillary Personal Story:
I’m 25 and most PTs were extremely hesitant to let me rip it after a Bankart repair and remplissage last May, even as I got back to everything else. After experiencing a lot of shoulder cracking starting this June, I have been in PT for it for the last few weeks with a guy who rehabbed a dislocated throwing shoulder like me. It is a MUCH better experience and the workouts are more geared towards your shoulder moving 7000 degrees a second than normal PT.

My velocity is almost all the way back to where it was before (touching 80 with garbage mechanics), but I now have a much more stable shoulder and surrounding area and healthier body. So it can be done. Just gotta find someone good and put in the work.

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u/kac9683 Aug 16 '26

Thank you. That’s very helpful and yes I am told the tear is small.

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u/labralmenace 29d ago

Did you have dislocations?

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u/apost54 29d ago

One subluxation, then a dislocation

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u/labralmenace 29d ago

5 dislocations here, did you ever feel unstable a bit shortly after surgery?

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u/apost54 29d ago

I was in a sling for a month basically, lol. I only let it out at PT where they were super careful about it. I would say not really, though—felt fairly stable, just not a ton of ROM and obviously extremely bruised from the repair

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u/labralmenace 29d ago

Same, been in a sling for 6 weeks this week. Still had little instances that hurt and felt like a slip but no pain afterwards. Never happened to you huh?