Collarbone Recovery

Your collarbone, also called a clavicle, is a large bone that connects the upper portion of your sternum to your shoulder blade. It can be commonly injured in sports, falls or other traumatic accidents. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatments and recovery times can vary, ranging from a few weeks to several months.

Immobilization

• Almost all types of collarbone breaks, fractures or other complications require immobilization. This requires the patient to wear an arm sling and avoid using that arm or shoulder to lift any weight. Recovery using immobilization takes about three to six weeks for children and six to 12 weeks for adults.

Physical Therapy

• According to the Mayo Clinic, it is important to begin some form of motion therapy soon after initial treatment. Physical therapy prevents muscle soreness and atrophy during immobilization and is designed to restore muscle strength and flexibility to pre-injury status. Once the immobilization process is complete, therapy will likely increase in frequency and intensity until strength goals are reached.

Surgery

• In extreme cases, surgery is required to recover from a fracture or break that causes the clavicle to protrude out of the skin or if it is broken to the point where structural damage has occurred. In these extreme cases, surgery must be performed to set the clavicle back into place before recovery can begin.