6 months following a SLAP repair, Sub crom decompresiion and an open bicep tenodesis. Atfer getting off to a strong start with PT 10 days after surgery and light throwing at 3.5 months- I am hit a wall! After tremendous gain my shoulder has shown little improvement over the last 4-6 weeks. I have tried competing playing softball and can feel unstable swinging a bat and have intense pain throwing. My ROM is 90-95% and stregnth is getting there. For the most part my shoulde is stiff, "cranky" and tired. It is for lack of a better word it seems "exhausted". My Dr. said 6-8 months till I was 100 percent- not going to happen!.That being said I am back living with the intense pain I felt most of the time prior to the surgery however, I was able to play sport and stay active before surgery.

Your surgeon’s timeline was very optimistic compared to mine. Mine said I could start a throwing program at 3-4 months but wouldn’t be able to throw competitively until month 9 and it could be as long as 13 months. I am only at week 7 so I haven’t started any of this but looking at high profile people who have had the surgery I think 9 months is wishful thinking. Jason Schmidt of the Dodgers had his labrum repaired last June and is still feeling discomfort and won’t be back until at best June. He is a professional athlete so his job the last 11 months has been rehabbing it with the best PT available.

Hey Hawk,

I also tried throwing at 6 months but it didn't work. I think you will see a big difference in a few more months. Between month 9 and 11 is when a saw a huge difference. I still can't throw a ball like I used to but my rotation is better. Do you like to swim? Swimming does wonders for the rotation in the shoulder. Keep the faith!

Karen

I agree with the above comments. I'm about 5 months now and my doc said it would be 12 months before I could go back to hitting a volleyball (same as throwing motion) my PT is going about the same as everybody else around here. Comes in spurts.

I also agree with the previous statements. I am 14 weeks out and at week 12 my surgeon gave me the green light to start lifting weights very light and swimming, but no throwing. I swam for a week and it felt better everyday. I started lifting weights light last week and it seems to be getting stronger, I can increase the weight slowly with no extra pain. The surgeon said that for throwing, it would take 10-12 months to feel normal, however, I may not have the same type of velocity I had before the surgery, but I will feel good. I read an article that like 35 major league pitchers have had this surgery, and only one, Rocky Biddle, came back to be near where he was (he came back for one year). Maybe Jason Schmidt can change that, Casey Jannsen on Toronto tore his labrum this year too. Everyone just keep up the hard work, I do suggest to anyone to get into the pool when you are healthy enough.

I read that same article about all the pitchers and only Biddle coming back. I think that article is a little out dated now. There are more and more guys who are coming back. I don't know if it is because the technology for the surgery has been improved or maybe the rehab. Chris Carpenter had a torn labrum when he pitched for the Blue Jays in 2002 the Cardinals signed him when he was rehabbing. When he came back he won the cy young. So it is possible to return and even improve.