Rehabilitation exercises for a labral tear are designed to strengthen the muscles in and around your shoulder in an effort to stabilize your shoulder joint. While rehab for a tennis player should mirror that of an ordinary individual suffering from a labral tear, the speed and intensity with which the rehab exercises are performed may be increased in an effort to decrease recovery time.
Labral Tears
After sustaining a labral tear, you and your doctor will decide whether surgery will be required to fix your shoulder injury. If so, the recovery time will vary from a rehabilitation that does not require surgery. Stabilizing your arm in a sling or immobilizing device will often be administered for several weeks before basic range-of-motion exercises can be performed. These exercises should be performed three to four times a week, depending on how your arm responds to stimulation. It may take two to three months to fully return to tennis, depending on the severity of your injury. Consult your doctor before performing any rehabilitation exercises.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises will help you strengthen your shoulder muscles as well as help you restore range of motion to your tennis swing. Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent and arms at your sides. Tie a resistance band to a static object, holding the other end of the band in your injured hand. From here, lift up, pulling the resistance band up and away from your body until it is parallel to your shoulder. Hold this position for several seconds before bringing your arm back down to your side. Repeat until fatigued.
Shoulder Rotations
Shoulder rotations will help improve range of motion in your shoulder joint as well as loosen the ligaments after suffering a labral tear. Stand next to a table or desk with your non-injured hand flat on the desk for balance. From here, bend at the waist, bringing your upper torso to a 45-degree angle. From this position, let your injured arm dangle loosely toward the ground. Rotate your arm from the shoulder joint in a circular motion, rotating it slowly for 10 full rotations.
Shoulder Shrugs
Shoulder shrugs will help you strengthen your shoulder muscles as well as help improve your range of motion in your shoulder and elbow joints. Stand up straight with your arms at your sides and your knees slightly bent. From this position, bring your shoulders up, lifting them as high as you can without pain. Hold this position for several seconds before relaxing. Repeat 10 times or until you are fatigued. As you improve, perform the exercise with dumbbells in your hands.
Bicep Curls
Bicep curls will help you strengthen your bicep muscles, indirectly strengthening your shoulder muscles and stabilizing your joints. After weeks of inactivity, bicep curls should be performed only after you have performed several strengthening exercises to get your muscles back into shape. Begin this curl exercise using 2-pound dumbbells. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand and your knees slightly bent. From here, curl your arms up, bringing your arms up by bending at the elbows until your hands are at shoulder height. Slowly lower your hands back down. Repeat 10 times with both arms until you are fatigued. As you improve, increase the weight of your dumbbells.
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