If Your Shoulders Ache and Hurt, Suspect 'This' First

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Dooyul] If you experience a sensation of your shoulder 'popping' out along with stiffness and aching, you should suspect a labral tear.

The labrum refers to the fibrous cartilage that connects the humerus, which extends from the shoulder to the elbow, and the scapula, known as the shoulder blade.

Similar to the meniscus located in the knee joint, it is loosely attached to the bone, making it a relatively vulnerable area prone to injury. A tear occurring in this area is called a labral tear.

In the past, it mainly appeared in athletes who frequently use their shoulders, such as baseball players, tennis players, and badminton players. However, recently, the incidence has increased among young people in their 20s and 30s who enjoy sports involving joint use, such as tennis and golf, due to incorrect posture during exercise or excessive joint use.

Lee Jimin, director of the Joint Center at Daedong Hospital, said, "Many patients who visit the hospital with a labral tear often think the pain is normal due to exercise and miss the appropriate treatment timing, but shoulder pain is often difficult for individuals to judge on their own."

He added, "Since labral tears may not show abnormalities on X-ray examinations, it is important to receive an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment from medical professionals with extensive clinical experience focusing on the shoulder at the onset of pain."

Shoulder pain image.

When a labral tear occurs, it mainly causes shoulder pain along with a feeling of instability and heaviness in the shoulder. In severe cases, there may be a sensation of the shoulder slipping out. Severe pain can be felt when moving the arm backward or upward, taking clothes off or putting them on over the head, or lifting heavy objects.

Although rare, labral tears can be accompanied by other shoulder conditions such as rotator cuff injuries or shoulder arthritis. Therefore, in addition to basic tests, medical professionals may perform radiological examinations such as CT, MRI, or ultrasound, or combine diagnosis and treatment through arthroscopy based on their judgment.

Arthroscopy involves using a miniature camera endoscope less than 1 cm in size inserted into the painful area to visually diagnose and simultaneously treat the inside of the joint. It can detect subtle conditions that special imaging like CT or MRI cannot reveal, and because the incision is small, bleeding, pain, scarring, and infection are relatively minimal.

If the damage is not severe, treatment can be done through exercises to strengthen muscles, posture correction, and physical therapy. Medication may also be used in combination if the pain is severe.

Above all, excessive use of the joint during treatment must be avoided. It is recommended to consistently receive physical therapy that includes stretching to loosen the shoulder joint and exercises to strengthen shoulder muscles according to a specialist’s prescription.

Stopping treatment prematurely or resuming exercise too soon after improvement can worsen the condition, so caution is necessary. If the damage is severe or does not improve with treatment, surgical treatment such as arthroscopy may be performed.

After surgery to trim or suture the torn area, wearing a brace that restricts arm movement and undergoing rehabilitation exercises can enable normal activities, but strenuous exercise should be avoided.

To prevent labral tears, it is important to perform thorough stretching before and after exercise. Especially if you use your shoulders frequently, it is beneficial to use bands or towels for shoulder stretching and muscle strengthening exercises to improve shoulder strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.