Broken collarbone recovery time?

[li10up]

Six weeks ago a dog ran out in front of me and I ended up going over the handlebars. Most of the force was taken on my shoulder/upper back which resulted in a broken collarbone and two broken ribs. Nothing you can do about the ribs but the doctor recommended surgery to fix the collarbone. I broke it near the end near the shoulder (only 10% of breaks occur there) and the ends were not aligned so I had a plate and screws put in. At six weeks post op I still am not allowed to drive and am only allowed to walk on the treadmill or ride the stationary bike. I still have to wear the sling when I leave the house. This week I was allowed to start pendulum exercises where I let the arm hang and make circles with it.

So many other stories have people back on their bike in a few days or weeks with nearly full range of motion. I can barely lift my arm to eat or brush my teeth and brushing my hair is out of the question...I cannot raise my arm. He explained that the location of my break is more serious than breaks in the middle portion of the bone. I don't understand - if the bone has been put back together why does my shoulder/arm/back hurt so much if I move my arm? I am really concerned about how long this process is taking. I go back in one week and hope to hear that I can ditch the sling and start physical therapy.

Does anyone have any input on this regarding recovery time? Anyone else have so much loss of motion? I don't think I could raise my hand above my head even if my life depended on it. I have so much pain when I do accidentally move my arm more than just a little. What can I expect with physical therapy? Thanks.

[Selkie]

I broke my collar bone on my left side in 1996. Luckily, I didn't need surgery, even though my break was pretty much in the same place as yours. I was in a sling for six weeks and like you, had trouble doing anything with my left arm after the sling came off. MUSCLE ATROPHY is the reason you're having problems. You are fortunate that you can get PT....my ortho never suggested it and at the time, I didn't know enough to insist on it. I recovered on my own, regained full ROM, etc. Helped that I have a high tolerance for pain and just gutted it out.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery.

[Irulan]

Selkie, I can't believe your doc didn't refer you out to PT....

What to expect from PT: simple range of motion and strength building exercises. Home-work is critical, especially if you don't have a lot of visits. The ROM exercises will probably hurt but you need to work through them. Frozen Shoulder can occur which is a side effect of shoulder injuries. Just do what the PT tell you and don't whine or be lazy about it.

[li10up]

Thanks for replying. After you were cleared to start ROM exercises how long did it take to get full movement and strength back? I want to get back into my triathlon training but am wondering how long I should expect recovery to take. Thanks.