What is shoulder slap tear?

A SLAP tear is a specific kind of injury to your shoulder.

To help make your shoulder more stable, there is a ring of firm tissue, called the labrum, around your shoulder socket. The labrum (say "LAY-brum") helps keep your arm bone in the shoulder socket.

SLAP stands for "superior labrum, anterior to posterior"—in other words, "the top part of the labrum, from the front to the back." It refers to the part of the labrum that is injured, or torn, in a SLAP injury.

Symptoms of a SLAP tear may include:

• Popping, clicking, or catching in the shoulder.
• Pain when you move your arm over your head or throw a ball.
• The feeling that your shoulder is weak or not stable.
• Aching pain. You may have a hard time describing this pain. Or you may not be able to show your doctor exactly where it is.

A SLAP tear can be hard to identify, because there are so many other things that can cause shoulder pain and because SLAP tears are not common. Ways to diagnose a SLAP tear include:

• A series of tests in which your doctor moves your shoulder joint around to see which movements are causing your pain.
• MRI. A special dye is injected into your shoulder before you have an MRI scan. When a dye is used, the test is called an MRI arthrogram.
• Arthroscopic surgery. This is the only sure way to know whether you have a SLAP tear. Your doctor will make small cuts, called incisions, in your shoulder. Then the doctor can look at the inside of your joint by inserting a tiny camera attached to a thin tube. The doctor may be able to repair the tear at the same time.

The first step is to see if pain medicine and rehabilitation (rehab) can help.

If over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) doesn't control your pain, your doctor may give you a prescription medicine.

Rehab includes doing a home exercise program, stretching, and avoiding activities that cause pain. If this doesn't help, your doctor may want you to go to a physical therapist.

For many people, surgery is the only thing that helps. With arthroscopic surgery, the doctor can get a close look at the injury and also do some repairs.

• Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• If your doctor recommends that you wear a sling, use it as directed. Do not take it off before your doctor tells you to.
• Put ice or a cold pack on the sore area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• If there is no swelling, you can put moist heat, a heating pad, or a warm cloth on your shoulder.
• Do exercises and stretching as directed by your therapist or doctor.