# Collarbone fracture - healing time ?



## SGoldwin

Sitting by the computer and typing with my right hand only. Strange how difficult everything becomes when one arm/hand is disabled.

After a shitty winter this far the weather changed a couple of weeks ago and our local little hill opened this weekend! I "live/work/help" there during season as a snowboard instructor for kids. Also engaged in helping them with producing snow and other stuff. 

We where moving a couple of snow-producing-device with the snowmobile when it turned sideways - long story short I ended up at the hospital with left collarbone fractured. A "good" fracture the doctor said. No need for operation. These fractures are self healing - nothing except mitella for keeping the arm/shoulder/collarbone in right place.

Then the sad news - no snowboarding for 6-8 weeks according to the doctor.
I am young in spirit but my driving licence says 49 years so I will not heal as fast as the kids I am teaching, but 6-8 weeks. Seriously, that's almost the full season here. 

I imagine that I am not alone with this injure - how long took it for you to get back on the board?

I have/had a trip to Engelberg with some friend 5th february. Cancel or not to cancel?


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## Argo

The pain will stop around 4 weeks at your age when the bone fuses back together. It will remain very weak still for another 2 to 4 weeks while the bone actually builds up unless they did surgery and plated it. If it's healing naturally then 8 weeks. If it's plated then cautiously after 4 or 5 weeks if it was me. 

This is just friendly advice, not medical advice.


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## SGoldwin

Thanks Argo. No surgery or plates on an old man like me. I'll have to wait it out,


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## speedjason

SGoldwin said:


> Thanks Argo. No surgery or plates on an old man like me. I'll have to wait it out,


Funny how I slammed my right shoulder slipping on ice last Saturday. I hurt quite a bit but it's getting better. I still can't bend my arm back without feeling the pain but my ROM is mostly not limited. I am just gonna wait it out see what happens.
Bones are slow to heal so I would wait a bit for it to fuse together.
Plates are need when bones are broken in more than two piece so they cause mal-union. I broke my left one due to motorcycle accident in half and they didn't bother putting a plate on. It fused on it's own although a little shorter but still better than having two surgeries I guess. Maybe wait until I break it again then they can do something about it.


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## tokyo_dom

Did mine in 2014. It was also a clean fracture, bones fairly close together still so no surgery. It did take 4 weeks before the break would stop clicking while walking (so i guess it had fused), but certainly didnt feel up to doing any sports. It was right on the 8 week mark when i felt i could start doing some light gym work.

Sucks to hear you broke it right at the start of the season... Mine was at the very end


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## JTCarver

Damn, sorry to hear about the collar bone fracture. That can be a painful break. Did mine quite a few years ago bicycle racing. As I remember, I was back pretty active at about the 4 week mark, but not putting much pressure on that side and always consciously guarding it. 

My thoughts are to go for it within reason using necessary precautions such as extra padding and a brace.

I'm riding with a shoulder that has permanent nerve damage and significant muscle atrophy, but with a brace and relearning how to kind of move around my issues I can make it happen. 

Best of luck to you and I hope you heal up quick!

One more thing that may help you: at night when trying to fall asleep (or any other time you're relaxing), try visualizing your body focusing its energy on healing your collar bone. I know it sounds lame, but its worth a try. It's worked for me.

JT


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## SGoldwin

Thanks for your input - it really helps.
Yesterday I felt better during the day but this morning really scared me. I took one painkiller when I woke and waited for an hour before I got out of bed. But getting up undone the nights healing and tremendous pain followed me on the way to the bathroom where I fainted due to the pain. Hit my head on the bathroom sink and ended up lying on the floor. Not a pleasant way to start the day. 
I think I go back to 2 painkillers in the morning. I had some breathing problems first day when I took 2 but perhaps that was because other stuff circulating in my body from the hospital.
This healing of the collarbone during the night and sort of breaking up in the morning - is that something you have experienced also? for how long?


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## speedjason

SGoldwin said:


> Thanks for your input - it really helps.
> Yesterday I felt better during the day but this morning really scared me. I took one painkiller when I woke and waited for an hour before I got out of bed. But getting up undone the nights healing and tremendous pain followed me on the way to the bathroom where I fainted due to the pain. Hit my head on the bathroom sink and ended up lying on the floor. Not a pleasant way to start the day.
> I think I go back to 2 painkillers in the morning. I had some breathing problems first day when I took 2 but perhaps that was because other stuff circulating in my body from the hospital.
> This healing of the collarbone during the night and sort of breaking up in the morning - is that something you have experienced also? for how long?


Usually the pain should stop after a week then you just have this weird broken bone moving around under the skin.
Your experience sounds scary.:surprise:


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## Argo

I actually slept in a lazy boy recliner for a month when I broke mine...


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## f00bar

Argo said:


> I actually slept in a lazy boy recliner for a month when I broke mine...


I do that every night after dinner


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## powderjunkie

Never broken a collar bone but my dad (who has broken many bones in his life) has told me it's the most pain he has ever felt in his life. Hope you get better soon man!


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## SGoldwin

Argo said:


> I actually slept in a lazy boy recliner for a month when I broke mine...


Sleep and NetFlix has been my occupation the latest days. And occasional stop at the mac.


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## Argo

powderjunkie said:


> Never broken a collar bone but my dad (who has broken many bones in his life) has told me it's the most pain he has ever felt in his life. Hope you get better soon man!


I felt the same way until I broke a couple ribs on the back side while dh biking in August. I was more functional with the ribs but sneezing and coughing were religious events. Up until that my collar bone was the most pain and I have broken at least one of most bones.


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## tokyo_dom

SGoldwin said:


> Thanks for your input - it really helps.
> Yesterday I felt better during the day but this morning really scared me. I took one painkiller when I woke and waited for an hour before I got out of bed. But getting up undone the nights healing and tremendous pain followed me on the way to the bathroom where I fainted due to the pain. Hit my head on the bathroom sink and ended up lying on the floor. Not a pleasant way to start the day.
> I think I go back to 2 painkillers in the morning. I had some breathing problems first day when I took 2 but perhaps that was because other stuff circulating in my body from the hospital.
> This healing of the collarbone during the night and sort of breaking up in the morning - is that something you have experienced also? for how long?


I had exactly that every day waking up (well not the passing out, nor the pain killers, but the feeling that every day i woke up and whatever repairs my body did the night before suddenly got snapped apart, with an audible "pop")

For the first couple of weeks i would get my wife to assist me in getting up. And i would have to sit on the side of the bed and wait for the pain to subside before standing.

I didnt have a lazyboy to sleep on, but i found that sleeping with a rolled up towel placed between my shoulder blades (vertically), would stretch out the chest and made sleeping a lot easier (I had the figure-8 strap and a shoulder sling for my arm)

The popping and feeling that the repairs are being undone is normal i believe. The body is just filling the area with soft tissue to start with and that (very) slowly solidifies and gets less and less painful. The popping for me stopped around the 4-6 week mark IIRC


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## SuperNewb

Broke mine playing football this past Thanksgiving. Never got an X-ray but after a couple weeks when the swelling went down, it was (and still is) a very apparent break lol

I took it easy for 8 weeks, and even then there was VERY mild discomfort at times. Now it's fine and solid...and I slammed down pretty hard this weekend at Snowshoe (possible cracked rib...always something lol).


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## SGoldwin

Passing 6 weeks and the collar bone feels solid. Doing rehab exercise in order to get full flexibility and strength in left arm and shoulder.
A couple of soft runs in the local hill and it felt great. No problem at all when riding. After a couple of hours I started to get cold and then I could feel the collar bone getting more and more stiff. For the next run I put some fleece fabric around the collar bone and shoulder and everything went better.
No jumping or hard crusing yet, but in another couple weeks there should be no problem going at full speed. Looking forward to that.


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## Trabi75

So I hit some weird hole in the grommet this morning while I was clocking 58.didn't catch an she but took a lot of impact to the shoulder. Got up cruised down to the bottom while holding my arm and feeling clicking. Jumped on the gondola because going up wad the only easy to get down to the base. Once in the gondola it started to hurt and I could feel a huge bump. I told ski patrol on the top and they talked me out of boarding down to my car. I thought it was dislocated and so I let them take me to the on mountain clinic. X ready showed grade 2 (ligaments at the end of bone are torn but crucial laments are likely OK)separation with no break. The Dr told me too wear some brace that loops around my shoulders and behind the neck for 4 weeks and see him in 2.they said it shouldn't need surgery but I want to be able to lift weights when is healed. They said I should be able to but that u will likeky always have a bump there. I wonder if surgery will eliminate the bump and be better in the long run. 
Anyone have surgery? I guess I will see what is like in 2 weeks. I'm so bummed it wasn't a mistake I should've made and Tuesday might be a powder day. They didn't rule or me boarding Tuesday but the way it feels whenever I move it makes me really doubtful now. This brace sends to make the bump go down but if I let my am hang it is painful and you see the bump again.














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## Tatanka Head

That sucks. My shoulder is still a bit wonky from when the skier hit me. After the season I'll go to the doctor ( you know, when it all heals incorrectly and they tell me I'll have 80% movement for the rest of my life, haha). Hope that does heal. And don't worry, Tuesday's dump won't be too big (at least in my area).

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## Trabi75

This morning I feel a little better but there is no way I could go let alone do up a binding. If it improves this much every day maybe I can get a day or 2 more in if I keep my arm somewhat immobilized. 
But I'm worried i won't be able to just take slow easy runs down. I always find myself hard charging through sections. 


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## DoubleA

Not to thread jack, a broken collarbone I'm sure, sure sucks. But look after it and it will heal.

Mentally a separation I think is worse- because it will literally never heal. 
Depending how bad it is, you'll have a weird circus shoulder forever. Mine is pretty evident even through layers... but mine was a grade three- 100% separated, so looks worse but from what I understand yours might hurt more...

Find yourself a physiotherapist, tell them how active you are. They will likely get you moving it around through range of motion regularly- resting it in a sling in between. It will make a lot of shitty sounds and it'll hurt, but do it anyway.

See what your ortho doc has to say. Mine didn't even consider surgery- because apparently it just doesn't work. 
I met with a friend of the family who'd had it done... two years later, after multiple surgeries, still in pain, and super limited range of motion... as in mostly useless. Basically surgery ruined their life and wished they had settled for the bump.

My doc said using it or not was up to me- that I basically couldn't make it any worse haha (not 100% true either).
You will be limited by muscle weakness and pain... and it'll hurt a good while getting used to working without that connection, but it slowly gets better, different but better.
I'm sure you know what happens when you try to scratch your opposite, uninjured shoulder... well pushups/ presses are going to be just a big of a bitch.



EDIT: Don't listen to me though, see what "they" say and make your decisions from there. Your x-ray looks a little different than mine did.
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/slam-section/201385-shoulder-separation-trip-cancellation-season-x.html


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## Fielding

You've gotta get the healing going by doing lots of jumping jacks.


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## Trabi75

So depressed.it is showing outside. Already 6 inches at my resort. I was looking forward to tomorrow and now looks like I'm done for the season. I have a lot of mobility now if I wear this brace. But I just don't want to make things worse. 


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## snowangel99

Injuries are TERRIBLE, like the worst ever because you can't do what you normally do. But you have to rest it or you will pay far larger consequences in the long run and you will regret using it before it was ready. Rest rest rest and you will bounce back quickly. Also physio once your body is ready for it. Lots and lots of physio.


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## Trabi75

I guess you're right. So hard to not go. I'm just approaching a year since having my hip scoped and was looking forward to getting in the gym this summer at full strength finally,now another set back.

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## snowangel99

that's awful  I am sorry to hear that. I guess you can still do legs at the gym?


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## Trabi75

Yeah probably. I'll wait a couple weeks before I try though just to give everything some time to settle down

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## speedjason

Trabi75 said:


> So depressed.it is showing outside. Already 6 inches at my resort. I was looking forward to tomorrow and now looks like I'm done for the season. I have a lot of mobility now if I wear this brace. But I just don't want to make things worse.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk


Don't be depressed. I am perfectly healthy and the season is over two weeks ago for me.
I mean you can still ride I guess if you are just be careful. Do you normally fall easily or you are at the stage where you are not falling unless you do some tricks or going flat-out?


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## Trabi75

No I don't normally fall to easily. Been riding 25 years. But just got back into it a few years ago after a little hiatus. So now I'm desparate to go as often as i can (can't believe how much i missed snowboarding)
I often ride hard and aggressively. Try to power through moguls whatever there is. I really shouldn't have went down like I did even at high speed but shit happens I guess and I wasnt paying attention the way I should have. 
I don't think I will push it though. I'd rather give up on a few days if it means I could heal quicker/better. 

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