Condition:
RC and Labral repair are significant surgeries that require prolonged healing time to allow the soft tissues to heal. With a RC repair, the torn RC fibers are sewn back into the intact portion of the muscle or the two ends are sewn together. The healing process for these fibers to become stable is significant and requires observance of a rehab protocol. With a labral repair, the torn labrum is often anchored back down into the bone or a new labral border is create using soft tissue that is gathered up and anchored to the bone in its place in the event that the torn labrum is too damaged or in the wrong position to pin down directly. In this case, the labral tissue needs time to scar down to the bone where it is anchored to be able to provide the shoulder joint the stability It needs to perform high demand tasks like pushing, pulling, throwing, and bearing weight
Treatment:
IN both cases, both labral repair and RC repair have a period of restricted motion and use of the arm to allow the healing process to advance. During this first stage, ROM and simple muscle activation are emphasized to keep the muscles coordinated in preparation for stage 2 where full ROM and baseline strength are established. Stage 3 includes returning to prior level of activity, work, recreation and sport with progressive exercise—culminating in instruction in an independent home exercise program for continued advancement.