A broken collarbone, also known as your clavicle, is a relatively common sporting injury that usually occurs when you fall on your shoulder or collide with another player, as in a football tackle, says Sports Injury Clinic. Initial treatment involves resting and immobilizing the area, but rehabilitation exercises should follow to avoid joint stiffness and reduce range of movement in your shoulder.
Signs and Treatment
If you have broken your collarbone, you will feel a sudden, sharp pain in the area followed by an inability to move the affected shoulder or arm, says PhysioAdvisor.com. You might also hear a popping or snapping sound when the bone breaks, and there will usually be swelling and redness around the area. A doctor will either bandage your shoulder and/or place your arm in a sling for three to four weeks, during which time you should not apply pressure to the injured arm and shoulder -- for example, by sleeping on that side. Once the fracture has been immobilized for about two weeks, and you no longer feel pain when moving, you can start gentle rehabilitation exercises, says Sports Injury Clinic. But always speak to your doctor before starting them.
Shoulder Squeezes
Sit or stand up straight and gently pull your shoulders back so your shoulder blades squeeze together at the back, says PhysioAdvisor.com. Hold for about three seconds, relax and repeat 10 times -- but only if you feel no pain at any stage during the exercise.
Arm Swings
Bend over with your uninjured arm resting on a table or stable chair for support, says PhysioAdvisor.com. Your injured arm should be hanging straight down so your fingers are pointing toward the floor, then gently swing your arm forward and back and side to side. Only swing as far as you can without feeling any pain and build up to doing 10 swings in each direction -- again, only if you're completely pain free.
Arm Circles
Start in the same position as for the arm swings exercise, but this time, circle your injured arm 10 times in a clockwise direction, then 10 times counter-clockwise. Make the circles as big as you can without causing any pain, gradually making them wider as your range of movement improves.
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