Your shoulder is made up of three main bones which are the clavicle, humerus, and scapula. All three works in harmony to help you accomplish tasks with your shoulders. The labrum is the soft tissue that binds your humerus to your scapula. When it is torn, you’ll find that you can’t function properly with the affected arm. There are various symptoms that could occur as a result of the labrum tear. There are also many things that could cause such a tear.
Repetitive shoulder motions — especially those of overhead nature — could lead to a tear through wear and tear. This is why athletes such as rowers, pitchers, and weightlifters often suffer from these labrum tears. With proper treatment, most labrum tears heal in four to six weeks. Early treatment is key, so here are eight frequent symptoms of labrum tears that will help you get an early diagnosis.
1. Grinding
The first symptom that you might notice after suffering from a labrum tear is a grinding sensation in your shoulder. You might be wondering why a tear in your soft tissue would lead to such a sensation. Well, as we mentioned earlier, your scapula and humerus are bound together by the labrum. Once the labrum tears, the two bones of your shoulder are able to contact each other directly.
This is what leads to the grinding sensation that you’ll experience. It’s merely your perception of the two bones rubbing up against each other. This is one of the reasons that early treatment is essential to labrum tear recoveries as the more the bones grind up against each other, the longer it’ll take for you to fully recover. Permanent damage may even be caused in some cases if the injury remains untreated.