The TRUTH about Torn Ligaments and Tendons
So we know tendons connect muscle to bone while ligaments connect bones to other bones. Tearing either of these can be extremely painful and will persist for an extended period of time.
So how do we know if we have a tear?
Unfortunately the only REAL way to know is by getting an MRI. Majority of the time, X-rays won’t do the job because you can only see bones while an MRI will show everything.
Will a tear heal on it’s own?
Here lies the big misconception. I can’t tell you how many times people say “oh physical therapy will heal it”. Unfortunately… No it won’t.
Once there’s a tear of any kind (partial or full), it will not reconnect on its own. Physical therapy can HELP, but it will not heal. PT helps because you’ll strengthen the area surrounding it (muscles and other ligaments, tendons) which will take some pressure off that specific torn ligament/tendon, but it will not fully heal.
The only TRUE way to heal these types of injuries is to get surgery. I know, the dreaded word nobody likes to hear… “surgery”.
Good news is, it’s not always necessary. If it gets better over time, doesn’t wake you up at night and doesn’t bother you regularly, then you can avoid going under the knife. Strengthening the area around it and going through physical therapy may help to relieve some pain. However, if this is the case and the pain is nonstop, getting surgery may be the only alternative. Don’t be afraid of this!
I tore my labrum in my left shoulder and I’m basically at 95% strength. I do just about everything from handstand push-ups to benching to squatting with a bar on my back and I’m absolutely fine. Are there certain movements that feel a little wonky and can hurt a little? Sure, but I just stay away from those movements and replace them with ones that don’t feel uncomfortable to hit the same muscle group. If done correctly, this is very possible for everyone. The rehab process is important and must be done 1 step at a time!
If you have an injury that is persisting, get an MRI. It sucks, but it’s worth knowing what you’re dealing with rather than making it worse. This will allow you to take the proper course of action in order to get better.
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