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Shoulder Labrum Tear Treatment – Chevy Chase, MD

5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 450 Chevy Chase, MD 20815

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Patient FAQs

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.

5550 Friendship Blvd.
Suite 450
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

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Doctors

A physiatrist with vast experience in sports medicine and geriatric medicine, Dr. Dade approaches his patients’ pain by evaluating the whole person, not just the source of pain.

Understanding and respecting the symbiotic relationship between all systems within the human body is central to his all-inclusive approach to care and is integral to reducing pain. He is able to diagnose a variety of musculoskeletal conditions with precision and then develops comprehensive treatment plans.

In addition to being adept at conventional interventional techniques, Dr. Dade is highly skilled in regenerative medicine including: prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and bone marrow concentrate.

A respected leader in his field, Dr. Dade had been recognized by his peers as one of Washingtonian magazine’s Top Doctors. He is a past recipient of the Congressional National Leadership Award for achievements in the medical community.

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Board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, Dr. Friedlis is one of few physicians in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area trained to perform platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments and is one of the first doctors in the area to use bone marrow concentrate for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.

His innovation and expertise has established Dr. Friedlis as the foremost practitioner of regenerative procedures for musculoskeletal injuries in the Washington, DC, area. Nationally recognized as an expert in pain, he is a frequent speaker at national conferences on regenerative treatments.

As an advocate for global stewardship, Dr. Friedlis has coordinated several medical mission trips to Central Mexico that were sponsored by the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine and provided much-needed pain management services to poor, rural communities. He also served as program director for a new medical outreach program that brought then-nonexistent pain management services to Lima, Peru.

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A native of Northern Virginia, Dr. Wagner returned to the area after completing his medical training throughout the state of Virginia. He believes that finding the definitive source of pain is critical to long-term recovery.

He combines his years of clinical experience and skills in advanced, non-surgical techniques with the latest medical technology with the goal of improved function and reduced pain for each patient and has helped countless patients resolve complex pain issues and return to healthy lives.

Dr. Wagner specializes in diagnosing and treating injuries of the spine, joints, tendons, nerves and ligaments by utilizing injection techniques. He is well-respected within his field and has lectured and mentored clinicians nationally on these innovative techniques and their application for treating chronic pain conditions.

He is frequently asked to share his expertise through speaking and instructional venues, including as a featured WebMD lecturer for low back pain. Dr. Wagner received the Physician’s Recognition Award from the American Medical Association for his commitment to continuing medical education.

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Throughout his regenerative medicine career, Dr. Newton has had the opportunity to treat patients of all activity levels, from all over the world. He looks forward to helping each patient by providing an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

As a sports medicine fellow in Cincinnati, Dr. Newton was able to evaluate and treat professional and elite level athletes, including athletes at Division I and III colleges and multiple high schools.

Now, double board-certified in sports and family medicine, Dr. Newton’s professional passion includes regenerative medicine and interventional orthopedics. He holds additional training certificates in musculoskeletal ultrasound and fluoroscopy.

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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

*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.

Treat Labral Tears Without Surgery

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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Labral Tear Repair Patient Stories

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.”

Pilates lover with an active lifestyle – Full patient story

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:)”

Mother of a college athlete – Full patient story

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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Popular Articles On This Topic

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).

u003ch2u003eGet started to see if you are a Regenexx candidaternu003c/h2u003ernu003cpu003eTo talk one-on-one with one of our team members about how Regenexx may be able to help your orthopedic pain or injury, please complete the form below and we will be in touch with you within the next business day.u003c/pu003e

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