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Is a broken collarbone a serious injury?

Leia Doyle

Is a broken collarbone a serious injury?

Most broken collarbones heal without difficulty. Complications, when they occur, might include: Nerve or blood vessel injury. The jagged ends of a broken collarbone may injure nearby nerves and blood vessels.

Can a broken collarbone cause permanent damage?

A Collarbone Fracture is not life threatening but can impact a patient’s quality of life and function. Short Term – to pain, sleep disturbance and disability. Long Term – to malunion or non-union, that can result in ongoing pain and loss of function .

Can you get paralyzed from breaking your collarbone?

The jagged ends of a broken collarbone or bone chips can puncture or sever nearby nerves and blood vessels. As a result, you could wind up losing feeling in your arm and hand, suffer paralysis, or even excessive internal bleeding.

What is the fastest way to heal a broken collarbone?

To help speed the healing, you might get:

  1. A splint or brace to keep your shoulder from moving.
  2. A sling for your arm, which you might use for a few days.
  3. Anti-inflammatory painkillers, like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, which will help with pain and swelling.
  4. Range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.

How do you sleep with a broken collarbone?

Try sleeping with pillows propped under your arm for comfort. After a few days, put your fingers, wrist, and elbow through their full range of motion several times a day. This will keep them from getting stiff. You may get instructions on rehabilitation exercises you can do when your shoulder starts to heal.

How long does it take for a broken collarbone to stop hurting?

A broken collarbone, or fractured clavicle, is a common injury. It usually happens after a fall or a blow to the shoulder. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal in adults, and 3 to 6 weeks in children.

What helps a broken collarbone heal faster?

To help speed the healing, you might get:

  • A splint or brace to keep your shoulder from moving.
  • A sling for your arm, which you might use for a few days.
  • Anti-inflammatory painkillers, like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, which will help with pain and swelling.
  • Range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.

How long will a broken collarbone hurt?

A broken collarbone, or fractured clavicle, is a common injury. It usually happens after a fall or a blow to the shoulder. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to heal in adults, and 3 to 6 weeks in children. The collarbone is a long, slender bone that runs from the breastbone to each shoulder.

What are the 5 most commonly broken bones?

5 Most Frequently Broken Bones

  • Arm. Half of all the broken bones experienced by adults are in the arm.
  • Foot. It’s not surprising that so many bone breaks occur in the foot, since about a quarter of all the bones in your body are found in your feet.
  • Ankle.
  • Collarbone.
  • Wrist.

What helps a broken collar bone heal faster?

What are the top most painful bones to break?

The 4 Most Painful Bones To Break

  • 1) Femur. The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the body.
  • 2) Tailbone. You could probably imagine that this injury is highly painful.
  • 3) Ribs. Breaking your ribs can be terribly distressing and quite painful.
  • 4) Clavicle. You’re probably asking, what’s a clavicle?

What is the most painful broken bone?

Leg bones are usually some of the strongest in the body and it takes a big impact such as a serious fall or a car accident for them to break. A fracture that occurs lower down the femur is classed as a broken leg rather than hip and is one of the most painful breaks to experience.

Users' questions 

Is a broken collarbone a serious injury?

Leia Doyle

Is a broken collarbone a serious injury?

The bone rarely breaks through the skin. But it may push the skin out, causing it to have a tent-shaped look. A broken collarbone usually is not a serious injury. In rare cases, a broken collarbone can injure a lung or rib or pinch nerves or blood vessels.

Do you need a sling for a broken collarbone?

It supports the shoulder. A broken collarbone may take 6 weeks or longer to heal. You will need to wear an arm sling to keep the broken bone from moving while it heals. At first, it may hurt to move your arm.

How long does it take to recover from breaking your collar bone?

How long does it take to heal? In adults, it usually takes about 6 to 8 weeks for a broken collarbone to heal, although it can take longer. In children, it usually takes about 3 to 6 weeks to heal. However, it will take at least the same period again to restore full strength to your shoulder.

How painful is a broken collarbone?

A broken collarbone can be very painful and can make it hard to move your arm. Most clavicle fractures can be treated by wearing a sling to keep the arm and shoulder from moving while the bone heals. With some clavicle fractures, however, the pieces of bone move far out of place when the injury occurs.

What is the fastest way to heal a broken collarbone?

To help speed the healing, you might get:

  1. A splint or brace to keep your shoulder from moving.
  2. A sling for your arm, which you might use for a few days.
  3. Anti-inflammatory painkillers, like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, which will help with pain and swelling.
  4. Range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.

Can you move arm with broken collarbone?

You can move and use the arm and shoulder without pain. In general, people can go back to noncontact sports (such as running or swimming) in about 6 weeks and contact sports (such as football, lacrosse, and hockey) in 8–12 weeks.

What happens if a broken collarbone goes untreated?

When a bone fracture is untreated, it can result in either a nonunion or a delayed union. In the former case, the bone doesn’t heal at all, which means that it will remain broken. As a result, swelling, tenderness, and pain will continue to worsen over time.

Will a broken collarbone heal perfectly?

Usually a broken collarbone will heal on its own. You just need to give it time. To help speed the healing, you might get: A splint or brace to keep your shoulder from moving.

Can you drive with a broken collar bone?

Immobilization is seldom needed beyond a few weeks and at that point, light activity and gentle motion can usually begin. As a general guide to return to activities, nothing should cause worsening pain. If not wearing a sling causes pain, wear a sling. If driving hurts the fracture site, don’t drive.

What causes swelling under the clavicle?

Arthritis, where joints become painful, swollen and stiff, can occasionally be the cause of a swollen clavicle. Osteoarthritis is due to wear and tear, and may affect the joint where the clavicle meets the shoulder blade.

What is a clavicle splint?

Clavicle Splint. A clavicle splint is a splinting device most commonly associated with fractures involving the acromioclavicular joint, middle and outer aspect of the clavicle. When the middle or outer aspect of the clavical bone is fractured the sternocleidomastoid pulls at the inner aspect of the clavicle causing it to move upwards,…

What is a sling splint?

A sling is a specific kind of soft splint that uses a triangular bandage that is tied to support an injured arm, wrist, or hand.

What is a collar bone?

The collar bone, which is the common name for the clavicle, is a short, narrow bone extending horizontally across the top of the chest. It stretches bilaterally from the sternum, or breast bone, in the center of the chest to the acromion process of the scapula at the top of the shoulder.