Shoulder Labrum Tear Treatment – Atlanta, GA

371 E Paces Ferry Rd NE, Suite 802 Atlanta, GA 30305

The labrum is a cup-shape rim of cartilage that lines and reinforces the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. It’s the lip of the socket of the ball and socket joint. It helps to connect the socket part of the scapula with the head of the humerus. It makes the socket deeper, creating space for the bones to move, and coats the surface of the socket area with soft cartilage, enabling the shoulder to move more freely and painlessly.

A shoulder labrum tear can be caused by a direct injury to the shoulder or as the result of prolonged wear and tear.1 While labral tears can occur in big traumas, like a car crash or a serious fall, shoulder instability is a cause often missed. 2 Instability can slowly increase after an old injury or a seemingly less traumatic event.

Imagine that the ball of the humerus is a bowling ball and that the labrum a barrier between the lane and gutter.  When the shoulder is stable, the ball stays on the lane. When the shoulder is unstable, the ball continuously goes towards the gutter and hits the barrier (labrum).

Shoulder joint anatomy highlighting the labrum
Labrum – shoulder joint anatomy

The common surgical intervention for labral tears often involves an invasive procedure to reattach the biceps tendon at another location. Labral repair tends to be followed by a long, painful recovery with extensive physical therapy — often with no improvement in mobility and function. Also, labrum surgery frequently fails to address the subtle instability of the shoulder joint that caused the tear, so the shoulder remains unstable and subsequent injuries may occur. 

There has only been one high-level study that compared surgical labral repair compared against a fake surgery. It did not show any difference in outcome between the labral repair surgery and the fake procedure 3. In another study looking at posterior shoulder instability, surgery edged out physical therapy, but the patients knew what procedure they were getting 4. We don’t have much solid evidence that a shoulder labral repair procedure works.

371 E Paces Ferry Rd NE
Suite 802
Atlanta, GA 30305

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Doctors

When working with patients, Dr. Williams wholeheartedly believes in a holistic approach to medicine and takes pride in building a partnership with each patient so that they can learn the skills to be able to achieve their functional goals in life.

He is the founder and medical director of Interventional Orthopedics of Atlanta, the first physician in the licensed Regenexx network in the state of Georgia, and his research interests include polypharmacy in the elderly, musculoskeletal ultrasound education, and regenerative medicine for orthopedic conditions.

Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Williams enlisted into the Air Force after high school.
Before attending medical school, he taught elementary school science to at-risk youth for a year. Then, while in residency for physical medicine and rehabilitation, he was awarded the resident of the year award three years in a row.

During his personal time, he enjoys traveling with his family, weight lifting, cooking, and outdoor activities.

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Areas treated: Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

Dr. Virlyn L. Bishop has been a well-respected Interventional Pain Management Physician in the Atlanta area for over 10 years. His experience in Interventional Pain Management has included traditional interventional techniques. Over the course of his private pain practice, he also developed expertise in performing minimally invasive surgical techniques for spine pain.

In the latter years of his traditional interventional pain management career, Dr. Bishop became more acutely aware of the trusted and excellent results that Interventional Orthobiologics (PRP, Bone Marrow Concentrate, which contains Stem Cells, Prolotherapy) offered to patients seeking trusted alternative therapeutic options to traditional interventional pain management therapies and to avoid major surgical interventions.

Looking to build upon and further improve patient outcomes that traditional approaches to treatment of spine and orthopedic pain were unable to address, Dr. Bishop began to study medical disciplines that focused on more holistic and nonsurgical approaches to treating patients. This pursuit naturally led Dr. Bishop into the field of interventional orthopedics. Dr. Bishop is excited to join the Interventional Orthopedics of Atlanta and the Regenexx team to further his goal of partnering with patients and empowering them in their pursuit of not just a longer lifespan but a higher quality health span.

A native Georgian, Dr. Bishop completed his undergraduate and medical school education at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He then completed his Anesthesia Residency and Pain Medicine Fellowship through the Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Bishop has further expanded his education post residency/fellowship with ongoing courses through the Interventional Orthopedics Foundation in regenerative medicine techniques as well as courses through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. He is a Contributing Editor to “Advanced and Emerging Interventional Techniques” Chapter 35 Williams, C. et al., Atlas of Interventional Orthopedics Procedure, Elsevier. 2023

Dr. Bishop resides in Marietta, GA with his wife and 4 children. His personal interests include reading, gardening, musical instruments, exercise and spending time with his family.

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Areas treated: Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

My father was a physician, and his connection with and ability to help his patients initially sparked my interest in medicine. By the time I was six, I was positive I wanted to become a physician as well. I am fascinated by the mechanics of the human body and employ a holistic, science-based approach to my practice. I have an upbeat, hopeful, and positive attitude with patients and am passionate about providing care that improves quality of life and function so people can be healthy, move, and enjoy life.

Originally from Houston, TX, I have lived in Atlanta for 19 years. I love Atlanta’s vibrant culture, mild seasons, green landscape, and access to travel.

I am in my 19th year of practice as a physician. I hold a BS in Biomedical Engineering, which informs my structural and mechanical understanding of the human body. Between college and medical school, I worked for Lockheed Martin as a Mission Support Scientist on the Shuttle-Mir Space Program in Houston and Moscow. I am double board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine. I served as Chair of the AAPM&R Opioid Task Force, penning the opioid position paper. I am a member of the American Medical Association Pain Care Task Force. I have held multiple other leadership roles at AAPM&R and North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS), am active in research in spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, intrathecal therapy, and spinal cord injury, and have been an active lecturer at regional, state, national and international meetings over the past two decades. I have expertise in complex neuropathic pain phenomenon, such as spinal cord injury, CRPS, MS, and brain injury. I have served as an adjunct assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine for nearly 19 years.

I cherish time with my wonderful wife and our three amazing children. I also enjoy daily exercise, reading, traveling, watching movies, and walks with my family and our dog. I have not served in the military, but I have tremendous respect for those who have. My father, grandfather, and grandfather-in-law were veterans.

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Areas treated: Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Lumbar Spine, Thoracic Spine

Areas Treated

Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

*This provider is NOT authorized by Regenexx to treat the C0-C1 or C1-C2 levels of the neck or CCI (craniocervical instability).

Woman in telemedicine consult with physician to see if she's a candidate for Regenexx for knee osteoarthritis.

Regenexx procedures are non-surgical treatments that use your body’s own healing agents to treat shoulder labral tears. Our patients benefit from reduced pain and improved function, helping them avoid shoulder surgery.

Am I a candidate?

Regenexx’s percutaneous labralplasty is a nonsurgical procedure that uses precise imaging guidance and your own healing cells to promote natural healing. Regenexx procedures can be a better alternative for people looking to avoid surgery, lengthy recovery, and overuse of prescription pain medication. They use either platelet-rich plasma or bone marrow concentrate (which contains stem cells). 

The nature and severity of your labral tear (classification type) generally determines if the treatment is right for you. An evaluation by a Regenexx physician is the first step.

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I tell people about it all the time, and they find it so hard to grasp…100% and no scars, no downtime….I am so happy with my results and just wanted to say THANKS once again.”

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Number 8 [at 3 minutes and 35 seconds] is Matt scoring the winning goal for Penn State lead over Cornell. He had 2 great goals! THANK YOU…he feels great:)”

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Note: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx procedures have a success and failure rate. Not all patients will experience the same results.

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Webinar: Alternatives to Shoulder Labrum Surgery

Learn the latest about regenerative medicine, and how Regenexx procedures can treat your shoulder labrum injury.

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Yes, not everyone experiences pain when their labrum is torn. In 2016, a study performed MRIs on patients without shoulder pain who were 45-60 years old, a staggering 55-72% of these people had labral tears. 5 

Yes. When the tear is in the upper part of the labrum, the area where the biceps tendon attaches to the lap of the socket is also commonly torn. When this happens, it’s called a SLAP tear (Superior Labral Tear from Anterior to Posterior).

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