Broken collar bone?

[legaldancer]

I broke my collar bone in a horse & rider fall 5 weeks ago. The break feels fine, but my shoulder & neck muscles have started to ache since I got my sling off. Haven't ridden yet, but considering doing so this week. Can any of you share your experiences of similar injuries, & when did you get back aboard?

 

[spike123]

your muscles are probably aching as they will most likely be weak.I presume you were in a collar and cuff support which would explain why your muscles are weak. I would start with gentle exercising of your shoulder and neck to help regain the strength in them before you consider riding again.I am fairly sure I broke mine a few years ago although I never went to get it checked.It continued to give me grief for a good year and I regret not getting it properly checked out.

 

[Oscarsmum]

i broke my collar bone a few years ago (in a rider fall!)and was riding within six weeks it was quite tender when the sling was first off but soon got better.

 

[bethanys]

Are you having physio sessions?
Mine were terrible after I broke mine, I was in a sholder immobiliser so my back muscles went too, but a few physio sessions and religeous exercising helped an awful lot.
Plus i"d have a little go getting on, with helpers

Hope it sorts out soon.

 

[hellybelly6]

You should have taken your arm out of the sling regularly throughout the period and performed exercises with your shoulder. Now your muscles and tendons have stiffned up and lost their strength.

Try to gently get your shoulder moving without putting any loads on it, such as swimming and slowly building up activities as you are able to.

I dont ride again until you have the strength and movement back, perhaps another 4 weeks.

I am not a doctor, but I work for an eminent hand and upper limb orthopaedic surgeon.

 

[legaldancer]

Thanks everyone. I was a bit naughty & had my arm out of the sling, especially on Christmas Day so that I could get the turkey in & out of the oven & more importantly open my pressies!

I've done the bending over & stirring thing (exercise). I guess it'll take some time to regain full strength in that arm.

 

[hellybelly6]

You should have taken your arm out of the sling! Perhaps not cooked a roasting hot turkey and carried it though.

It will take about a month to get the strength back. It will come back.

 

[MrsMozart]

Try a sports physio. I've found them great for getting body back into some semblance of order over the years

They undersatnd the drive to ride/care for a horse even when bits aren't working properly.

 

[ladyt25]

Do more exercises and aif possible get a sports physio as suggested. i found I got problems with my opposite shoulder and this made me v v tense all across my back/shoulders etc. I still have twinges with my collar bone now (2 years on) but in general it's pretty much back to normal although i don't think the bones have fused and probably won't now. You will find it eases the more you use it and you will forget how sore it was!

 

[hellybelly6]

Lady T if your fracture has not healed, you need to see somebody about it and possibly have it fixed, if it causes you too much pain.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

4 months in a sling and 6 months till I rode again.

I did displace it but 1" though, and they thought at one point it would need to be pinned.

 

[Marchtime]

Definitely see a sports physio - I did some damage to my shoulder in a bad fall many years ago and didn't get it properly sorted at the time, now I'm paying for it! Sports physios are good because they understand your want to get back riding unlike normal physios or doctors.

 

[RobinHood]

In a strange way I was 'lucky' because my fracture was displaced so much there was no option but to pin it. I was hacking out 2 weeks after the operation and I was hunting 4 weeks after. Having the bones secured by metalwork definitely helps even if it was agony for the first few days! Mine was from a horse fall when we attempted to jump unsecured haylage bales