Shoulder Tear?

Has anyone gottin an MRI Done with the injection of dye to see if there are any tears?! I am a tennis player who got hurt about four weeks ago and was not able to play tennis for two but then I did play tennis at regionals and state, before state I had a severe shoulder strain and tennis elbow? Could I just have made everything worse?! If is a a labrum tear how long will I be out? I start playing tennis again in the fall at a Division II college! Will someone please explain the process if I do have a labrum tear? Thanks!
 
tennischick18 said:
Has anyone gottin an MRI Done with the injection of dye to see if there are any tears?!
Yes, not fun, but necessary for a proper diagnosis. Only a orthopedic physician can say for sure after evaluating the MRI. Depending on how bad it is, physical therapy might be a good route to start with in hopes of avoiding surgery. A good online source is:
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/shoulderelbow/a/labrum.htm

Personally, I had extensive shoulder surgery from a top shoulder specialist over four years ago (Bankar & SLAP repairs). I am in really good physical shape, work out every day (properly structured for optimal shoulder benefit) and take good nutritional supplements (recommend GNC Triflex). I am even now still not fully recovered but I will get there.

If is a a labrum tear how long will I be out?
Be really careful here, if you try to play too soon if there is a tear, more damage can result. I highly recommend you get referrals from good players and pros at your local tennis clubS for the name of a good orthopedic physician. Don't just go to one, go to at least two and if what they say doesn't make any sense and goes against your gut instincts, walk out the door.

Will someone please explain the process if I do have a labrum tear? Thanks!
Rest, Physical Therapy, possible surgery. But with hard work & dedication, recovery. Time Frame could be anywhere from two weeks to unlimited.

Don't play if your shoulder pain gets worse and seek proper diagnosis.
 
If there is a labrum tear, stop playing tennis completely.
If you keep playing, the tear will get bigger, and it won't be a tear, it will be a HOLE.

I had 16 Bankart lesions (shoulder dislocations with tored labrum) a huge SLAP tear (there was no cartilage left from the front side of the shoulder), plus 16 Hill-Sachs injuries (which are compression fractures in the humeru's head, plus a partially broken ligament, and a partially broken tendom.

I had a pretty dramatic reconstructive surgery which included bone injerts, cartilage injerts, and a titanium implant. After 8 months of serious rehabd and kynesio, my shoulder feels better and stronger than ever.

The point is, get the MRI to a doc. If there is a labrum tear, seriously start thinking about stop playing for a while (a long while), and consider the surgery. Cartilage doesn't heal itself, so surgery, sometimes, is the only way to go to repair those types of injuries.
 
Andres Guazzelli said:
I
I had a pretty dramatic reconstructive surgery which included bone injerts, cartilage injerts, and a titanium implant. After 8 months of serious rehabd and kynesio, my shoulder feels better and stronger than ever.

* Wilson Pro Staff Classic 6.1; 15.24 oz @ 63 lbs

still playing with this heavy stiff monster?
not sure if that's good at all for your shoulder
is it leaded up?
what's the balance on it?
what SW?
 
It has some lead, but the weight on the handle is so much more than the original. If the original is 11 pts Head Light, this is like 16 or 20 pts.

Anyway, I can't play with anything below 13.8 oz. It's too damn light.
Marius, after the surgery, and the extensive workout and rehab time made my shoulder and arms at least, twice as stronger as it was before. I started to add this weight to the racquet right after the surgery. It's simply because it feels someway more natural, and more comfourtable to my arm and shoulder with the extra weight.

And my shoulder hasn't been aching, hurting nor having any little troubles after the surgery, so I don't think the racquet is doing any harm.

Thanks on the concern, anyway ;)
 
Marius, is there a home-made way to measure the balance of the racquet? It would be nice to know what's the actual balance of it ;)
 
Thanks for all of the information about the MRI...I have been going to therapy for the past four weeks for it but I guess playing for a week preparing for state and regionals wasnt the best thing to do. Im hoping it is still just a strain...I cant miss too much more tennis because I now have to start training for college. I wont be playing tennis for atleast six weeks just resting it...I plan on running and jump roping..Im thinking the jump roping might not be good? How about the running part? Can you give me some tips to try to stay in shape while taking a time out from tennis?
 
Andres Guazzelli said:
Marius, is there a home-made way to measure the balance of the racquet? It would be nice to know what's the actual balance of it ;)

get a ruler and a long knife and balance the racket on the edge of the knife. then measure the distance from the butt cap. easy.
 
tennischick18 said:
Can you give me some tips to try to stay in shape while taking a time out from tennis?

the only thing which wouldn't bother your shoulder is stationary biking.

running would involve the shoulder and can't tell the effect of it, more risk.

also, which racquet, strings, tension?
 
so biking would probably be the best thing to do? Should I try running?

I use a Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3, With Sensation String and then tension is at 57lbs
 
tennischick18 said:
I use a Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3, With Sensation String and then tension is at 57lbs

I think this is a poor choice.

Stiffness: 66
Balance: 8 pts Head Heavy
Strung Weight: 9.9oz / 281g

Much too head-heavy, too stiff and too light.
You must start to educate yourself. If you don't believe me, then look at your shoulder: you see the effects there.

Check:
http://www.racquetresearch.com
Is a Lightweight Racquet a Good Idea?
Should Your Racquet Be Head-Heavy or Head-Light?

FWIW
check my posting here:

Best arm friendly racquets?
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=77937

I think you should consider some Volkls or Heads.
HEAD LIGHT, in order to protect your shoulder.
 
Can't tell you anything about running, ask your doc or physio, not sure to which extent it migh wear out your shoulder in your current situation, as you're actively using your arms.
 
tennischick18 said:
so biking would probably be the best thing to do? Should I try running?

I use a Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.3, With Sensation String and then tension is at 57lbs

Boy, are you about to get some stickies from Marius!

I just threw out my 6.3 hyper hammers as I felt it would be irresponsible to pass them on to anyone. Played 2 years with the hyper hammer, perhaps 2x each week. But when I started getting more serious about tennis and played 3-4 times per week, I started having shoulder pain and developed wrist tendonitis. I've had a tear that took about 3 months to rehab and a recent impingment injury. The wrist pain was constant.

Based on the advice Marius and others shared, I switched from the head-heavy, stiff hyper hammer to a flexible, heavier but head light racquet. I'm using the Volkl Catapult 8 and I have NO PAIN IN MY WRIST OR SHOULDER. I'm back to playing 3x per week and don't have to be militant about having a day of rest in between playing.

Make sure you get a good diagnosis and be diligent with your treatment. But going back to that racquet after treating this injury is just asking for more problems down the road.
 
And the worst parameter about this 6.3 hammer is the
SwingWeight (SW): 342g

This is HUGE and very bad for your shoulder.

Tell your coach to go in another line of business, if you've chosen this racquet with his help.
 
wow I had no idea all of this could have been done by what raquet I used. I have been using basically the same raquet for the past three years, but in the fall I switched to a 95 in head. Can you give me a specific head raquet or Volkol raquet that might be best for me! Thanks for all of your information...I didnt even assume this injury was bc of my raquet!
 
The most difficult conception to get over is that higher racquet weight is safer for your arm. I've had several pros recommend light racquets to me - "see, it's nice and light - won't hurt that shoulder..." There are a few physics dissertations on this board regarding the subject but in a nutshell a light, stiff racquet allows more of the impact to reach your arm.

Racquet weight is different from swingweight. Your hyper hammer weighs less than 10 oz, but has a ridiculous swing weight in the 340's. In contrast, my Volkl weighs 10.7 oz yet has a swing weight of only 300.

The specs I looked for were:

weight >11 oz
swing weight < 320
stiffness < 64

I would suggest using the racquet finder tool on this website - good starting point. Of course you are not in a position right now to demo racquets, but it gives you something to look forward to!

I found Pro Kennex Ki5 Ionic to be the most comfortable, but ultimately the swingweight was too high for me to enjoy the racquet. I played for a short while with the Volkl Tour 9 VEMP, but never could find the sweet spot on this racquet for my volley. The Volkl Catpult 8 is a bit lighter than I wanted but is serving me well. I figure I can always add weight to it if my wrist or shoulder start to hurt.

Many people tried to tell me that certain racquet technologies compensated for racquet stiffness. They would recommend something rated at 69 and tell me that it plays much softer...I figured why mess around? Stick with the basic parameters, find something suitable for you long term.

String selection is cruicial. I found Gamma TNT2 Rx and the X-One Biphase to be comfortable, but they are relatively expensive. If you are playing everyday in college you will probably need a more economical string.

Be informed - it will pay off for you in the end.
 
I've had shoulder problems until I finally had surgery to get rid of inflamation I was experiencing. I have no idea how that compares to your situation, whatever it is, though my shoulder never had a tear. I had problems on over-hand shots (serves, over-heads), but not on groundstrokes or volleys.

I think a shoulder-safe frame is generally one that is not over one's swingweight threshold, also one that is not balanced too high (toward head-heavy, especially into the head-heavy half of the frame).

I have no idea about you or your playing, but if your frame has a swingweight of 342, even if that is strung spec, then it's definitely on the swingweight heavy side of what's out there. I had shoulder problems with even a very flexible, head-light frame that I even made both more head-light and heavier because, I think, one day I just injured my shoulder and I was still trying to play with the high-swingweight frame in the time afterwards.

Sure, a more flexible frame in a make-believe world can be good because it absorbs more shock, especially when it is compared to very stiff frames around RA70, but you also generally need to swing harder to move the ball, which creates more shock that needs to be absorbed, especially when you're framing the ball due to swinging harder than is natural for you. Another thing, a flexible frame along with a relatively dense string pattern can make it harder to hit some shots, like perhaps a slice serve out wide. At least, that particular shot is a lot harder for me with the flexible/dense Prestige Classic. This makes me over-swing in those instances. Really, a frame with RA66 (at the throat) isn't that stiff, unless the frame feels more harsh than that, and/or if the frame is relatively stiffer in the hoop (up top).

A balance that is too high will make the frame want to carry through the air more and will move the handle part of the frame around more. Visualize how a hammer were to move through space if thrown. The handle would be all over the place. With a tennis racket, your hand is attached to that handle, back and forth, dragging your arm around like a rag doll attached to your shoulder. It's subtle, but that is what seems to happen.

In short, as far as your frame goes, I think, if anything, the high swingweight and a high balance are holding your shoulder back, though I don't know you or your playing.

As far as specific frames for you, it's also hard to recommend something when you don't say what you want out of a frame. I think most Head/Völkl frames will feel much different from your Wilson Hyper Hammer. A Babolat Pure Control might be up your alley; it is heavier, a lot more head-light, and has a lower swingweight. It's still powerful and though stiffer, doesn't feel too harsh with it's curved grommets all around. Though if you're really scared about your shoulder, you might want to check out one of the Pro Kennex Kinetic frames; they have had great reviews from people with some sort of injuries.

At the very least, your string/tension shouldn't be bothering you much, unless you're playing with stringjobs that are a few months old, which I kind of doubt. A teammate on the woman's side of my DII team plays with something like a Wilson n4, sounds similar to your frame, and breaks strings constantly.

Anyway, good luck to you. It must suck to get an injury now since you probably want to be ready in a few months.
 
Marius_Hancu said:
Can't tell you anything about running, ask your doc or physio, not sure to which extent it migh wear out your shoulder in your current situation, as you're actively using your arms.
Running won't mess up the labrum, but it will somehow streghten the shoulder's muscles,so it's a good way to keep in shape.
Jumping ropes, on the other hand, use very drastic movements, so I won't recommend it ;)
 
PrestigeClassic:

I think we might have the same problem. I first when in the doctor with extreme inflammation and I went to the therapist for heat, the ion treatment thing, and ultrasound. I then got tennis elbow a week later.

But when I played last weekend in the state tournament, I had to default my quarters because there was like a throbbing pain at the front of my shoulder, but then it went to the backside of my shoulder, down all around me bicep and then my elbow. But I went back the second day of the tournament and played but the main thing that bothers me was serving, and hitting an overhead. I had to let everything bounce, but a couple of times I would forget and slam at the ball which would cause sharp pain in the front.

So you just a had a surgery to get rid of the inflammation? What surgery would that be? Was it really needed? I dont want to really have a surgery at all bc of college tennis coming up in a couple of months! Well thanks for your info!
 
I had rotator cuff surgery in December to repair a total rupture diagnosed with an MRI without the dye. My surgery was scoped but still pretty extensive and involved reattaching the muscle to the bone. Rehab is tough but the only way out. Then in early April, I had my elbow scoped. A ton of junk was removed. I am about totally recovered from both and ready to begin light workouts and light hitting. If you have the surgery, you just have to be patient with the rehab and do everything the therapist says. Good luck.
 
tennischick18 said:
PrestigeClassic:

I think we might have the same problem. I first when in the doctor with extreme inflammation and I went to the therapist for heat, the ion treatment thing, and ultrasound. I then got tennis elbow a week later.

But when I played last weekend in the state tournament, I had to default my quarters because there was like a throbbing pain at the front of my shoulder, but then it went to the backside of my shoulder, down all around me bicep and then my elbow. But I went back the second day of the tournament and played but the main thing that bothers me was serving, and hitting an overhead. I had to let everything bounce, but a couple of times I would forget and slam at the ball which would cause sharp pain in the front.

So you just a had a surgery to get rid of the inflammation? What surgery would that be? Was it really needed? I dont want to really have a surgery at all bc of college tennis coming up in a couple of months! Well thanks for your info!

Well, I never had a tear, just a sharp pain in my shoulder, which I think was in back. I think it started to extend to the bicep, too, somewhere; it was a bit sore, but I don't think to the elbow. This was five years ago. I first tried physical therapy, including a little of electrical shock therapy, then a couple of cortisone injections, and nothing helped. So, we thought surgery was the way to go.

I think the surgery was performed to take away some of the bone that was getting in the way and causing inflammation.

Yes, I was out for something like at least six months. I think full recovery time could have been anywhere from six to twelve months. But after that time, I was becoming pretty confident in my shoulder. Before, I was scared that I might not be so confident in it. I still get a small sharp pain in my shoulder every now and then. But I can go to the trainer's office for electrical shock therapy with heat packs on top and this time it goes away. It's good for before practice, if feels awesome, then use an ice pack after practice.

Do you know your schedule in DII? For us, the season really starts in January with just a few events in the fall. So you might have plenty of time now for whatever you do, the most of all year.
 
Well I have sharp pain in the front, but it does go to the back but it mainly feels tight. Like everytime I come down on a serve, it starts to hurt then.

I do not know my schedule yet for next year, in fact the coach just found out about my TE but she still doesnt know about my shoulder problems. When I met up with her last time I think we have about 10 duals in the fall and then the rest of the season kicks up in January.
 
Check these racquets:

Volkl Catapult 8 V-Engine Racquets
Volkl Tour 10 MP Generation II Racquets
Dunlop M-Fil 300 Racquets
Fischer Pro Number One FT Racquets
Prince O3 White Racquets

I understand you're a young lady, thus you should go a bit lower than the men in terms of weight. But all these racquets are head light and with lower SW than your current racquet. Also, less stiff.

But test them out.
 
Marius_Hancu said:
get a ruler and a long knife and balance the racket on the edge of the knife. then measure the distance from the butt cap. easy.
Are you serious? How does this convert into "points" headlight or heavy?
So say i had a 27 cm long racquet and it is 14 cm away from the buttcap where it balances. Is this 1 point head light? Because 27-the 14?
 
So I got back from the MRI...it wasnt as bad as I expected but now my arm feels dead! They inject the dye right where it hurts the most and now it hurts all down my arm to my elbow! hmm Im hoping within a couple of hours it will calm down,...this happen to anyone else?
 
Tennischick18, don't freak out. It's perfectly normal.
In my experience, the MRI was the worst part of the entire surgery, but I had complications.
Anyway, the pain will calm down in a couple of hours. You'll be perfectly fine tomorrow ;)

If you want to, email me, or add me to your ICQ or MSN list, if you have one, to give you some inside insights of the surgery and shoulder injuries. Seems like you need a healing hand to calm you down on this one :)

ICQ is 47431016 and msn is andresguazzelli@hotmail.com
 
tennischick18 said:
So I got back from the MRI...it wasnt as bad as I expected but now my arm feels dead! They inject the dye right where it hurts the most and now it hurts all down my arm to my elbow! hmm Im hoping within a couple of hours it will calm down,...this happen to anyone else?

If the lab tech didn't point any out to you, then hopefully there isn't a tear. Mine pointed most of mine to me and even showed my textbook comparrisons. (I had tears over 80%, one of which was 2/3 all the way around). The MRI was definitely the easy part in my case. It was numb for about a few days, though I was bruised for weeks from where they had to push the needle through all of my muscles.

My pain started out similar to yours and started with a bicep tendon tear and progressed. If you look at diagrams of the shoulder, you might be able to get an idea where your tightness/pain is originating. Though defintely rest it until you get the MRI results!
model_1-shoulder.JPG


Hope this helps, Debbie
 
Well while I was lying down the doctor and the nurse whispered quite alot...I tried to not really listen because I was so scared to hear what the results were. My arm is still really sore and I could not sleep at all because of it last night! I went to physical therapy and it was alot harder to do the therabands and lift a one pound weight! Does another think my doctor made me do the MRI just a precaution because no one has really told me anything about what I may or might not have. One of the physical therapists told one of our family friends that she thinks that I have a rotator cuff tear! Which Im thinking is definetly not good! My therapist hasnt made me really do to much bc we are waiting for the MRI results, I get the results on Wed. But thanks for your information, it is very helpful!
 
Duzza said:
Are you serious? How does this convert into "points" headlight or heavy?
So say i had a 27 cm long racquet and it is 14 cm away from the buttcap where it balances. Is this 1 point head light? Because 27-the 14?

[EDIT]:
racket must be 27in, as Andres points out:-)

the geometrical center is at 13.5in
a point is 1/8 inch
make the math yourself to convert to points

read about Balance here:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/RacquetStringTerms.html
 
good news everyone...I dont have to have a surgery!! He said that the MRI results were pretty good and that they werent any tears! But I have about four tendons that are severly stretched right on the top of my shouler, but what confuses me is that it rarely hurts there, but I also have bicep tendinitis, and that is where I feel most of my pain. I have to sit out of tennis for the next six-eight weeks and go to therapy three times a week, so strengthen it more. But Im really luck that I dont have to have surgery on it!
 
tennischick18 said:
good news everyone...I dont have to have a surgery!! He said that the MRI results were pretty good and that they werent any tears! But I have about four tendons that are severly stretched right on the top of my shouler, but what confuses me is that it rarely hurts there, but I also have bicep tendinitis, and that is where I feel most of my pain. I have to sit out of tennis for the next six-eight weeks and go to therapy three times a week, so strengthen it more. But Im really luck that I dont have to have surgery on it!

You are indeed very lucky. Now take advantage of your good fortune by working hard at your therapy. I "graduated" from shoulder therapy today - feeling good!

Good luck!
 
tennischick18 said:
good news everyone...I dont have to have a surgery!! He said that the MRI results were pretty good and that they werent any tears! But I have about four tendons that are severly stretched right on the top of my shouler, but what confuses me is that it rarely hurts there, but I also have bicep tendinitis, and that is where I feel most of my pain. I have to sit out of tennis for the next six-eight weeks and go to therapy three times a week, so strengthen it more. But Im really luck that I dont have to have surgery on it!

Consider yourself lucky.

You need to:
- change your racquet (and strings, if harsh), to a head-light, etc.
- strengthen your shoulder (BUY some surgical tubing)
- modify your technique (toss more into the court)
 
Marius_Hancu said:
Consider yourself lucky.

You need to:
- change your racquet (and strings, if harsh), to a head-light, etc.
- strengthen your shoulder (BUY some surgical tubing)
- modify your technique (toss more into the court)

Consider yourself EXTREMELY LUCKY!
And follow Marius' advices, he knows his thing ;)
 
tennischick18 said:
good news everyone...I dont have to have a surgery!! He said that the MRI results were pretty good and that they werent any tears! But I have about four tendons that are severly stretched right on the top of my shouler, but what confuses me is that it rarely hurts there, but I also have bicep tendinitis, and that is where I feel most of my pain. I have to sit out of tennis for the next six-eight weeks and go to therapy three times a week, so strengthen it more. But Im really luck that I dont have to have surgery on it!

Thank your luck stars, buddy! Do the rehab and don't cancel out sessions because you don't feel like it. I had a cuff tear and was skeptical about PT. I rehabbed through it (18 mos) and felt myself getting better at about the 6 month mark. When I entered, I couldn't lift a 5 lb sissy dumbell above my shoulder. My serve is now back up to almost where it was pre-injury...Just do it!!!
 
hey everyone....just thought I would make a quick update! Well I hurt my shoulder two months ago and it is feeling pretty good! I went back to the dr thinging I would be released but I still have to sit out ANOTHER six weeks? I think it is crazy! i cant play until August and basically a week before I go to college and start playing. Im not allowed to play bc my rotator cuff is still weak but it doesnt hurt! do you think it would be bad of me to go out and hit some...just like some backhands and forehands...no serves or anything....or just do what the dr says and rest. The rest is starting to kill me though! I still have to go to therapy three times a week. So should I play or rest?
 
Marius_Hancu said:
Consider yourself lucky.

You need to:
- change your racquet (and strings, if harsh), to a head-light, etc.
- strengthen your shoulder (BUY some surgical tubing)
- modify your technique (toss more into the court)

Is it truly necessary for her (or anyone else for that matter) to change racquets? I sure hope I don't have to change racquets, since I tested tons of racquets before picking the Bab APC (swingweight 340!). Is my now bum shoulder a result of the racquet? ...or is it the quick return to my hard hitting tennis after 15 years off? ...or just a freak muscle pull? Who knows. If everyone truly thinks the 340 swingweight is ridiculous, then MAYBE I'd consider trying out the Babolat Pure Control (instead of my Aeropro Control), but it's light so I'd have to add lead - and then its 327 swingweight will probably be back up at 340 anyway!!! I'm heading to another doctor this week for a second opinion as well! Good luck to you all. Any other comments, please pass them along -- Lindros13

P.S. The racquets I tested included: Wilson nSix-One, Wilson nSix One Tour, Wilson nPro Surge, Wilson nTour, Wilson n5, Babolat Aeropro Drive, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince O3 Tour, Prince Diablo, Prince O3 Red, Volkl BB 10, Volkl DNX V1, Volkl DNX 8, Volkl Tour 10 Gen II, Head FP Radical, Head LM Radical, Head FP Prestige, Head LM Prestige, etc!!! IMO, None of them compare the Bab Aeropro Control that I picked, but I had a little bit of liking towards the Wilson nSix-One, Wilson nSix One Tour, and Volkl BB 10. I actually hit the Volkl BB 10 very well, but no question about it, I felt that the Babolat APC was the racquet for me. I never tried the Babolat Pure Control.
 
tennischick18 hey everyone....just thought I would make a quick update! Well I hurt my shoulder two months ago and it is feeling pretty good! I went back to the dr thinging I would be released but I still have to sit out ANOTHER six weeks? I think it is crazy! i cant play until August and basically a week before I go to college and start playing. Im not allowed to play bc my rotator cuff is still weak but it doesnt hurt! do you think it would be bad of me to go out and hit some...just like some backhands and forehands...no serves or anything....or just do what the dr says and rest. The rest is starting to kill me though! I still have to go to therapy three times a week. So should I play or rest?
You should listen to the dr and keep away from tennis for 6 more weeks. Yeah, your shoulder feels fine and you are dying to hit. But best to keep rehabbing it and get the shoulder "diesel" before getting back to tennis.

If you play tennis before you are supposed to and re-injure it, then your layoff could become a really long time--like 6 months or more, and that is much worse than not playing for 6 weeks.

You are young, the shoulder will heal if you give it the proper time and rehab seriously.

good luck!
 
Quick Update:

So guys Im really excited about Friday to come along! I go back to the dr. and I think I might be able to start playing tennis again! FINALLY! It has been so hard not being able to play. My PT says that I probably wont be able to serve or do overheads for a little bit but I can hit forehands and stuff! So anything would be fine with me! But hopefully I get to start playing really soon!
 
Okay so much for playing tennis! I went to the dr again today! He told me that I should be 100% recovered by now but my rotator cuff is still to weak so I wasnt released! I was first diagnosis with bicep tendinitis and stretched ligaments. He now thinks that I have stretched nerves! Does anyone know anything about what else I should be doing if I have stretched nerves? I got back in three weeks and then the next week I leave to go play college tennis! I just dont know what I should be doing now?
 
Lindros13 said:
Is it truly necessary for her (or anyone else for that matter) to change racquets? I sure hope I don't have to change racquets, since I tested tons of racquets before picking the Bab APC (swingweight 340!). Is my now bum shoulder a result of the racquet? ...or is it the quick return to my hard hitting tennis after 15 years off? ...or just a freak muscle pull?

Poor racquet choice for your situation. Get something with a lower SW, more head-light, less stiff. And get in shape with surgical tubing etc.
 
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