InjuryBen, Bullet and Imari this is my update. I am now just past 6 weeks. I have only had 2 PT session and my third tomorrow. Basically I am leading my rehab. Week 3 thru 5 seemed like very little progress for me.I couldn't seem to get the biceps to relax enough, so just walking normally with the arm swinging did not feel natural. Work as a PT was very limited and I needed help and would tire easily, taking Tylenol at night. Then week 5 I took a trip to the Florida Gulf keys. This was the best thing for my shoulder. I was in the water every day, not swimming per say but ranging the shoulder in water, and basically doing the breast stroke for movement. At first it was twingy, but soon it felt good. I did not have to do some of the tasks I do at home so it liked this and I feel like I turned a corner. My achilles heel has been the long head of the biceps(shoulder flexion and abduction mid deltoid). Although my biceps was not torn most of the surgery(11:30 to 3:00) was in the anterior shoulder and affecting the biceps. Week 3-6 I did not push the biceps. I feel it with certain movements, but I can now walk with normal swinging motion, can lift and hold things and even wash my hair with some assistance. Holding a phone is still uncomfortable, but I think this is from muscle substitution. I also tried the eliptical machine at my club today, using the arms in a very light way.
Injuryben give me some more details about what they have you doing in rehab. What you are feeling was very typical for me. It sounds like you could use some more massage on the biceps to release the tension. The biceps inserts into the labrum that has been repaired so you do not want to pull on it directly. If you place the good thumb on the top on the tendon to hold it you can then gently stretch the arm back or better yet have your therapist do this as he/she will have two hands, one to hold and the other to massage the tendon and muscle. Generally I feel most OS are too conservative with immobilization greater than 3 weeks and limitations at daily activities, but again it depends on the operation. Injuryben you are example of moving it as fast as the op will tollerate. How many times do you get PT? And Imari have you recovered from the inflammation from the push-ups? Bullet what activities of daily living can you do and what is still painful? Sharon

I have pt every weekday. I go straight from class to the physio team. Usually for around an hour but im told that'll go up soon.
I have full range straight up in front and out to the side. Im out of the sling now and doing most thing normally as long as it doesnt involve weight. I can wash and tie up my dreadlocks without discomfort which i cool as i didnt think id be doing that for a long time.

Atm i do all basic stuff on my own.. pendulums etc
But they are starting to work me really hard in pt, especially in the pool with some crazy arm movements and when they decide to work my external rotation. Im starting with therabands next week in ranges that i have good movement abilty and correct patterns.

Thanks for letting me know about the bicep though.. i was wondering when itd start to settle down or always be supercharged!

Ben

sskylor:
Yeah I'm just past six weeks and things are really starting to solidify, it's good but care is still needed.

In regards to the bicep program, the insertion of the biceps is around the 11 o'clock (mine surgery was 5 o'clock). Two tricks for biceps are as follows: When sleeping, sleep with your arm 6-9 inches from your body (taken from the hand), this provides a gentle stretch as well as increased bloodflow to the rotator and bicep area. Another trick is lie on your back, grab a broom handle, neutral grip and with your repaired arm limp, lift your arm with your good arm so that you are trying to get overhead, this will give a good ROM stretch and attack stiffness in the bicep directly and safely. Only go to comfort level.Move the joint as much as you can, movement lubricates your shoulder!
Why so little physio?What is your age/activity level/repair done?

injuryben:
Be weary of any plan that is "accelerated for athletes". I've played many sports and very competitive levels and the physio group I see works with Olympic athletes...There is no such thing as accelerated recovery. The problem isn't muscles needing to regrow, it's soft tissue growth and that takes time, nothing, absolutely nothing speeds up soft tissue growth, well nothing legal. If you stretch our the stiffness too aggressively early on you have a high risk on pulling the repair. Keep in mind, you should be in a sling 2-3 weeks, not because you're fragile but because when your arm is rotated inward across your body as in a sling, the humeral head is putting direct pressure on the repair. Think of gluing two pieces of wood together, you put them in a vice grip for a better hold. Same thing with being in a sling, so if you're stretching out your arm at 3 weeks, you're pulling on the repair cause no muscles or soft tissue are protecting the site. Anyway, keep it in mind...Even Dwayne Wade had six months of physio after his first dislocation and surgery....

Imari, thanks for the suggestions for the biceps. Why so little physio you ask? I was in no hurry to begin PT until 3 weeks as I had all the ROM exercises that I could do at home without any problems. Remember not everyone has the Olympic physios working on them. Until I found the right PT today, one who can evaluate my motion and help me where I cannot see or work with, then I was not going to waste my time or money. HMO typically have some pretty standard PT's. Since I am a PT in private practice I do demand more expertise than what I already know. I will be returning to tennis not when the arbitrary 4 or 6 months is given, but when I know the musculature is supportive of the actions I will encounter. Return to sports as you said cannot be aggessively hurried. I know a gentleman at my tennis club, who claims he had a labral tear and was back playing and serving in under 2 months. Now do I think this was smart? No, but he did not re-injure his shoulder. I think the type of sport one returns to can make a difference. Ben is working close, daily with his Physios. He is from the UK and I cannot remember what sport he is returning to, but I am wanting to see how he does. With the close monitoring he has, I have no doubt he will show us just how successful and how fast he returns. Personally I think returnig to rock climbing baseball/softball and contact sports are the most challenging and require the longest time.
Previous dislocations and labral tears like Dwayne Wade will need extra precaution and judging from his few days back, he is still not his former self. 86% of people have successful labral surgery and can return to their previous level. Just hope you and I are among the 86%. I had 2 anchors, TYPE 11 tear, 11:30-3:00 which are very strong and will require a fall or some large strain to breach. Injuryben and Imari keep me posted on how you do and for that matter what sports are you returning to?

Most activities are fine. I can wash my hair, eat, and do most things that don't require any lifting. My ROM sucks in my opinion. I can get it to 90 degrees in most directions without any pain. Anything above that it starts to get really stiff and I still get some short sharp pains, but I think that is improving. One major problem, I believe is my PT wont really stretch my shoulder. I think the lack of stretching is contributing to the everyday aches and pains because my ROM is still really limited. Also I haven't done any strengthening exercises. I might be wrong but at almost 7 weeks I think it might be ok to do some real basic stuff. The front of my shoulder still likes to pop a lot, its a really weak pop and nothing painful but still scares me. Also, another problem I have is when I move my arm out to the side, like a wing, it feels like it locks up and gets a little painful. I have been able to break up some scar tissue which makes it feel better, but it seems like I'm progressing at a really slow rate which just adds to the frustration.

Bullet, I have been doing most all of my ranging myself. At seven weeks you don't have to wait upon your PT, who obviously does not want to do any force stretching. Try walking up the wall. Pay attention to where you feel a stretch. Is it near the incision or most likely down in the muscles. Massage the muscles and see if you don't get some improvement. The hardest one for me is int rot. behind the back. I feel this pulls on the biceps, so I stretch this first and then the pull is not so bad. I have to share with you that my water work outs have progressed me the furthest. I am thankful I did not stop my club membership as I am using the pool and jacuzzi this week. I even did some very limited breast stroke after getting the muscles ready for this in Florida. If you have access to a pool, let me know and I can tell you how to progress. In terms of strengthening, you should have already begun scapular exercises and many others. I believe you need to establish whether not using muscles is contributing to you poor range, if so then ask the PT to start. What does he do with you? How long are your typical sessions?