There are several common symptoms reported by suffers of SLAP lesions or tears.

• A dull, throbbing, ache that seems to occur deep within the joint. This can be an ever-present condition or one that manifests itself following exertion from anything between sports and household chores. The patient will often find themselves uses ice packs more frequently for relief. This is often felt in bed, before falling asleep.
• A feeling of vagueness, or instability in the shoulder joint. This can be observed during day-to-day activities and does not need to be athletic. When the arm is moved the shoulder joint feels “loose.”

Depending on level and type of activity there are a few other symptoms that appear.

• For athletes involved in throwing sports, pain is felt during throwing motions. The “snap” of throwing release in particularly painful. The can also be a problem while swimming with an overhead stroke.
• Any applied force overhead can result in impingement or catching sensations. An example of this is clicking in the joint while working on a car on a lift. Ratcheting motions will cause rhythmic cracking of the shoulder joint. Rock climbers will feel the pain while trying to pull themselves up.

SLAP tears are primarily diagnosed through symptom analysis, so it is important to know whether or not any of these are present.