There are a total of three bones in your shoulder. The clavicle, humerus, and scapula. They all serve their own essential role in keeping your shoulder in place. The ball and socket fit together snuggly so that your arm stays attached to your torso because a dislocation isn’t very fun as most athletes can tell you. The labrum, however, isn’t a bone.
Rather, it’s the soft tissue that your body uses to bind the humerus and the scapula. Think of it as a rubber seal that’s used to keep both bones together. If you tear your labrum then you might notice a variety of symptoms. Some of these include a sudden loss of strength in your arm. You could also notice a limitation in your range of motion along with a clicking sound. Today we’re going to go over eight of the most common causes of a labrum tear.
1. Weightlifting
Repetitive overhead motions are one of the main causes of labrum tears. That being the case, weightlifters are at a high risk of this seeing as they perform the same motions every day, and while carrying a heavyweight at that. In fact, labrum tears are one of the most common injuries that put weightlifters on the recovery bench. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prevent labrum tears while weightlifting.
The first thing you should do is stick to weights that you can actually handle. Don’t try to show off and lift a weight that’s way too heavy for you. Build your strength up then slowly increase the amount of weight you’re lifting. This will ensure that your labrum doesn’t suffer a tear which can put you out of action for quite a long time. Some studies have also shown that stretching before lifting weights can prevent tears.