Regenexx Logo

Shoulder Labrum Tear Treatment – Raleigh, NC

2304 Wesvill Court, Ste 320 Raleigh, NC 27607

On This Page

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.

2304 Wesvill Court
Ste 320
Raleigh, NC 27607

Request an Appointment

Call to Schedule Schedule Online

Doctors

Co-founder Krishna Bhat, MD is dedicated to providing compassionate care to those in acute and/or chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions. He has been in private practice and board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation since 2006. With his open communication style, Dr. Bhat both informs and makes patients comfortable with the personalized treatment plans he develops. His communication skills and experience have also aided the practice in establishing its strong network of allied healthcare professionals (surgeons, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, etc.) that are often included in the comprehensive treatment plans he develops for patients. He enjoys sharing his experiences and knowledge of pain management with office colleagues as well as patients. He is enthusiastic about the opportunity to provide the highest level of care and treatment to patients with regards to regenerative medicine.

Dr. Bhat graduated from University of California, Davis in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. He completed medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in 2001. During his final year of residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, he served as the Chief Resident for the program. He was instrumental in advancing the training program for the residents and thrived in his mentorship role. Dr. Bhat is an active member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pain Society of the Carolinas, International Pain & Spine Intervention Society, and Interventional Orthobiologics Foundation.

Leisure interests include traveling, spending time with his family, watching his daughters participate in extracurricular activities/athletic events, and playing golf, tennis, and billiards.

View Full Profile

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

Co-founder Jasbir Dhaliwal, MD is a double board-certified and fellowship-trained interventional pain medicine physician. While his medical training and experience included surgical skills, he opted to specialize in non-surgical approaches to patient rehabilitation and pain management. As a fellowship-trained interventional pain specialist, his philosophy is to use the most innovative techniques to deliver quality pain management. Dr. Dhaliwal is dedicated to the comprehensive care and treatment of acute and chronic pain including arthritic, spinal and nerve pain and many other conditions. His breadth of medical training serves him well in determining the most appropriate types of treatment (rehabilitative, medication, surgical) for each patient.

Dr. Dhaliwal graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and Biochemical Pharmacology. After receiving his medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine he completed a year of General Surgery internship at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx. He completed a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at SUNY Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse, New York where he served as Chief Resident during his final year of residency. After residency, Dr. Dhaliwal completed a one-year ACGME accredited pain management fellowship with the Department of Anesthesiology at SUNY Upstate Medical Hospital in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Dhaliwal is a member of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, International Pain & Spine Intervention Society, Pain Society of the Carolinas, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, American Society of Pain & Neuroscience (ASPN) and Interventional Orthobiologics Foundation.

Dr. Dhaliwal’s interests outside of medicine include exercising, playing basketball, running and spending time with his wonderful wife and two children.

View Full Profile

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

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.

Find a Location

Find a physician in licensed Regenexx network.

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.

Visual representation of regenerative medicine

Webinar: Alternatives to Shoulder Labrum Surgery

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

Watch Webinar

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).

Request an Appointment

TO TOP