Broken collar bone

[equibabe20]

I broke my ankle and collar bone nearly 6 weeks ago in a riding accident. The ankle is almost healed cast should be coming off wednesday (fingers crossed) but the collar bone still isn't healing very well. I just wondered if anyone else has had experience of a broken collar bone and how long did it take to heal and is there anything I can do to speed things up? My doctor is very un helpful and I can't really understand him anyway :S

 

[gemma1992]

I'm sorry to hear of your accident. I've only broke my arm and hope I never break another bone so I have no experiences of broken collarbones.

I hope it heals soon

 

[MissDeMeena]

hmm can't really help there, i broke mine (and dislocated my shoulder at the same time) and was back riding a week or two later..
Dr's are useless at things like that, have you tried a physio?

 

[equibabe20]

I've been to see my osteopath who i've been seeing for a year now but he can't help until Im allowed to start moving my arm again as its in a sling at the mo

Ive totally seperated the bones there is about an inch between the 2 bits off bone and 1 has come up and is almost poking thru my shoulder

i dnt recommend breaking a collar bone it is very painful.

 

[lisan]

I've started putting May's Bioflow boots on at night to speed up the healing of my leg!!! Would definitely recommend a physio. The one I had last time was fabulous, working on the lymphatic system, deep heat treatment and can't remember what the other bit was!! Have you had the collar bone re-xrayed?

 

[MissDeMeena]

[ QUOTE ]
i dnt recommend breaking a collar bone it is very painful.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL
First thing i did after i broke mine, was be sick!! haha

 

[equibabe20]

I had it re-xrayed 2 weeks ago and Im going again on wednesday. 2 docs have said I'll need surgery and have it pinned back together but another one said it might heal on its own but take another 3 months!!! my osteo did some ultra sound on it and that seemed to help quite well. when u went to the physio were u alowed to move your arm or did you have it in a sling?

 

[equibabe20]

LOL i wasn't sick only just tho. I think i was more in shock as i'd broken the ankle at the same time! Didn't know which one hurt more but now i can def say collar!

 

[RobinHood]

I sympathise with you, I broke my collar bone really badly this time last year. I had it screwed back together a week after I broke it because there was no possibility of it mending otherwsie. I was able to hack a week after having it screwed but I couldn't ride properly for a few weeks, and the consultant had told me 2 months.

I would definitely recommend having it pinned, yes it was horrible at the time and I have a big scar but it completely removed that horrible feeling of the loose bit of bone moving about... yuck. I actually don't mind the scar either, and it's quite funny showing people the plate with the screw heads just under the skin - they think it's gross

I was supposed to have the plate removed in august but I didn't want to waste a day of the summer sitting in a stuffy hospital ward so my plate and I are together for life.

 

[equibabe20]

I would rather have it pinned as the doc said it wil be mended in a couple of weoks whereas naturally could be another 3 months

i have a huge lump where the bone is almost thru the skin and im totally wonky my right shoulder is higher than my left and I'll be like this forever if it heals on it own. I can't wait till I can ride again I'm so bored

 

[Gingernags]

I think taking comfrey is supposed to be good for helping heal broken bones.

Other than that, dont listen to me as I broke mine in a car crash, didn't get it looked at and carried on oblivious. A couple of years later I had it xrayed for another crash (neither my fault BTW) - and they noticed the healed break and large lump - oopsies!

Annoying though, could have had ££'s in compensation but it wasn't the done thing then.

 

[Horseymum]

Did you by any chance see City Hospital this morning? Nick Knowles (the presenter of DIY SOS I think) did the same thing whilst filming a documentary in Africa, was flown back to UK on Friday and they operated at the weekend and showed it today. They attached a piece of artificial ligament about four inches in length to hold it in place and he is due to fly back out to Africa tomorrow to complete filiming even though the Docs said he should rest for six weeks. Hope you get yourself sorted.

 

[equibabe20]

Yeah i've heard comfrey is ment to be good i might get some of that. Poor you tho you must have a high pain threshold cos u must have been in a lot of pain :S

 

[equibabe20]

No i didn't see that. wow thats quite a clever idea!

 

[icestationzebra]

I have experience... broke mine 6 weeks ago! The most painful thing I have ever experienced. I was in a sling for the first two weeks and had virtually no movement at all. Weeks 3-4 it started to become less painful and movement started to come back. I got back on my horse in week 5 (against doctors orders

). Had my follow up xray last week and whilst the bottom of the bone is fusing, the top of the bone is sticking out - I can feel it through the skin - YUK! They think it will calcify and fuse completely but I will always feel a lump. Helpfully my OH keeps asking if it is going to pop through the skin

That would throw him if it did!
Hope yours heals ok - take it easy and don't do too much if it still hurts. I know how frustrating it is. If you are worried can you seek a second opinion?

 

[laurag]

Hi,
That's sounds like it is not healing naturally...I personally would go back and ask for surgery as it sounds as if it will be wonky even if it does heal naturally. Having broke arm, dislocated elbow and smashed ankle would def recommend surgery. gets you going much quicker with less after effects on bones joints. Speaking as a nurse as well but not one who specialises in boney bits!
I know how you're feeling. I watched an entire season of 24 on dvd in 3 days after broke my ankle and confined to sofa. Much moping!
Good luck.
x

 

[Dovorian]

Yes - ditto for me as well, I still have the 'lump' visible and that was a while ago now, it did take ages and I was amazed how is stopped me riding much by simply being painful.

 

[dieseldog]

I broke mine into 3 bits, the one edge they thought was going to come thru the skin. The consultant wouldn't operate as he said there were too many arteries and it would leave a scar, I don't care about a scar. I wore a sling for ages on and off 3 months as I found if I walked more than 5 minutes my back was complete agony.

I eneded up with a massive lump of bone holding it all together. The last time I went to the hospital (3 months later)I saw a different consultant who then offered to pin it, but he said it would take 3 months to heal, so I would check that out. Didn't want another 3 months off so said no. A year later and it still ached.

 

[ljubb]

Hi

I broke mine about 6 years ago out hunting was very sore.

My boss's dad used tohave a health food shop and gave my some symphytum also known as knitbone which is a homeopathic remedy.

I am not usually into this kind of thing but gave it a bash and I could feel the bone tingling and starting to heal - it was very bizarre but I was back at work running a yard of 32 horses within 6 weeks. granted I was weaker than i was before but at least i was back at work.

Good luck and I hope it starts to heal the most important thing is that you rest it - that is the best remedy even though it is frustrating, ( i can remember finding it hard to even get dressed let alone ride!)

 

[equibabe20]

Thank you all for your advice. i'm going to the hospital tommorrow so I think I'm going to look into the pinning option as after 6 weeks I would have thought I wouldn't still be in this much pain

Littlemo-thanks for the suggestion of knitbone it's certainly worth a try and yes it is hard to get dressed lol!

 

[Happy Bird]

Poor you !! I know the feeling - I suffered an ACJ dislocation of the collar bone in March this year and it's still pretty painful now ! It took me a month before I could ride or drive (or work !!) Was bored out of my mind at the time. I have that attractive tell tale 'lump' where my collar bone sprung upwards by several inches (strapless dresses no longer a good look

). Guess we all have to be glad that the fall wasn't any worse !!

Personally I didn't find physio that brilliant. It just seems to be a time thing. It gets a little better each week.

The sooner you get it pinned, the sooner it'll knit and start recovering !!

RobinHood sounds positively attached to that plate