What Are Subscapularis Tears and SLAP Lesions?

The largest rotator cuff muscle is known as the Subscapularis. This muscle has a tendon attachment that is separate from the other rotator cuffs. Subscapularis Tears are tendon tears that result in significant weakness, pain, and often total impairment of shoulder elevation. 

Subscapularis Tears are often part of large rotator cuff tears. Being a vital stabilizer of the biceps tendon, the Subscapularis when torn almost always results in subluxation of biceps tendon.

Subscapularis tendon tears need to be separately looked for intentionally, during an arthroscopic shoulder examination. Fortunately, these tears can be arthroscopically repaired. 

SLAP Lesions or Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior lesions are tears of the labrum adjoining the top portion of the glenoid socket. The labrum is also known as the meniscus of the shoulder. SLAP Lesions result in a detachment of the base of the Long Biceps Tendon as that tendon essentially sources from the top of the labrum. Young overhead athletes, particularly swimmers and throwers, usually suffer from such lesions. 

These lesions can also occur in people from any age-group due to trauma caused by skiing, fall, or motor vehicle accident. A tight shoulder can often pre-dispose to a SLAP lesion in throwers. It is absolutely essential that pitchers allow their throwing shoulder stay stretched. SLAP lesions can be prevented by using the sleeper stretch, on pitchers. Symptoms of these lesions typically are pain, tightness, and soreness in the outside or back of the shoulder. There might be a catching or snapping sensation occasionally. 

SLAP Lesions Cause Pain and Soreness in The Shoulder

Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior is commonly known as SLAP. The rim of cartilage found in the shoulder socket is called the labrum. An injury or tear to this part of our body is termed as SLAP lesions. This injury typically results from excessive use, trauma and accidents like falling onto your stretched out hand. A person can experience more pain if already suffering from this injury with activities like throwing or even reaching overhead. He may also feel pain and soreness in the shoulder while bending the elbow or turning the wrist.

The shoulder of an individual with SLAP Lesions, may also click or snap with hand movement or may feel like being dislocated. One can diagnosis the injury through a physical examination of the shoulder and a contrast MRI scan. Most of the people with SLAP injuries respond well to -invasive or non-surgical treatment. Hence, it is the first option recommended by the doctors for any patient. Once you injure your shoulder, doctors initially recommend to rest I order to help ease symptoms. Your doctor to alleviate inflammation and pain may also prescribe you some medication.

One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is rotator cuff injury. This injury involves the tear of one or more tendons of the four rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. The cuff is responsible for alleviating the glenohumeral joint and rotating the humerus outward. When our shoulder is injured these functions can be compromises and thus we may be deterred from doing many activities. Tear to the tendons may occur suddenly due to fall and cause intense pain giving immediate weakness to the upper arm. If you have a rotator cuff injury, it is advisable to visit a doctor as it can cause further damage and can get larger over time if you keep it using despite of increasing pain.

Frozen Shoulder –What Is It and How to Treat It

When your shoulder joints get locked up and you can’t move your hand in its usual range of motion, then you must be having a frozen shoulder. This will deter your hand and shoulder from functioning properly and you will experience a severe pain. This is mostly common among the menopausal or pre-menopausal women.

Frozen shoulder is generally categorized into two. However, there is no specific reason for the cause of this situation. Trauma, surgery, or illness may be some of the causes of a locked shoulder. Though it is very difficult to find the exact cause of this situation, one will feel irritation to the lining of the joint capsule. This irritation further leads to the creation of the mark tissue that restricts the movement of the arm bone and thus restricts the movement of the arm joint. 

There are many treatments for the locked shoulder joints and these range from chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture to cortisone shots. However, most of the cases go untreated. One of the best treatments to reduce the pain when you suffer this situation is to ice the affected area and to avoid activities since it can lead to worse situation like strain. 

Heavy activities in such a situation may also lead to SLAP lesions; it is an injury in which a part of the shoulder joint called the labrum is affected. The joint of the shoulder is a ball and socket joint; but the socket of the shoulder joint is very thin, and thus intrinsically unbalanced. Thus to make a balance for the shallow socket, it has a cuff of cartilage called a labrum forming a cup for the end of the arm bone helping it to move within.

A particular labral tear is known as the SlAP lesion; and this stands for Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior. People suffering from this situation often complain of severe pain deep within the shoulder or at the back of the shoulder joint.