that is advice on how to help it mend, not to break it (worked that one out for myself)

have heard that pro-sports people have special therapys to get them going?

othewise it’s July and August off the bike, damn!

Well the NHS just put my arm in a sling and told me to rest it. After a few weeks I started physio at the local hospital to restore range of motion. Not sure there are other options other than having an operating to get it pinned but may have to go private for that.

stay as still as possible for 6 weeks

There is a chap who does lazer therapy or something – pro motorcyclists wear by it. Search for a recent thread on it

I bust mine four weeks ago at SSUK 09 and am still in a sling, so I sympathise. It’s rubbish.

Seems that it varies from doctor to doctor as to what they do. Some will put a titanium or steel plate and screws in straight away (particular on pro cyclists). Some will use a long synthetic pin down the inside of the bits of bone, threading it together like conkers on a string. Some prefer to let nature take its course. That’s what my doctor is doing. I go back after six weeks (i.e. in two weeks) and he’ll decide then if it’s healing (in which case, sling off, physio, and don’t do anything that makes it hurt) or whether there’s a big gap. Sometimes they’ll leave it up to three months to fix itself and you can still end up with a ‘non union’ – a gap to you and me. It then has to be fixed with a plate and screws.

Apparently you can ask for a second opinion. It costs about £100 (for the consultation) but they can’t say no. I may do that if nothing has happened after six weeks and there’s still no end (or operation) in sight.

Hippies will tell you that comfrey oil will help. Its olde worlde name is ‘knitbone’. Whether it does anything is debateable. I’m using it anyway, on the basis that it can’t do any harm. Note: you rub this into the skin, above the bone. Don’t drink it: it’s toxic to the liver if you do that. I guess you could also up your intake of calcium and maybe zinc too – they help grow bones, don’t they?

Magnets are supposedly good for encouraging the bones to grow together. Might be a placebo effect, and you need the proper expensive medical ones, not fridge magnets.

If you fancy having a go on the turbo to stretch your legs, just turn your road bike handlebars through 180 degrees so they’re upside down. You can then hold on with your good hand. An old innertube makes a handy support sling, to prevent soaking your medical sling in sweat.

I’ve just put proper roadster handlebars (from Pashley) on my town bike with both brake levers on one side (rear brake underneath and thumb operated) so I can still get about. The doctor would probably go spare but I haven’t told him. So long as you can sit upright on the bike there doesn’t seem to be any twisting force going through to the broken bone, though falling off would clearly be bad and you need to take care when setting off. A recumbent trike would be even better, I’d have thought.

i broke mine(in 3 places) 10weeks ago and arm.. :-(.. i was told op was the best way forward(in my case) got plate and screws and had good mobility straight away(only held back with cast on arm) on turbo after 10 days and back biking(road 6 weeks) mtb gently 7 weeks..doc reckons surgery slows healing process but benefits are mobility and straight shoulder minus lumpy bone formation..my mate done his 2 weeks ago and was offered op after waiting a week to see a specialist(nhs)..speak to your doc/hosp.. good luck..

you didn’t do it on sunday, by any chance?

captain_bastard

The best thing you can do is rest and let it heal naturally. You will be out of action for some time and sorry to say that means summer is over. I know how you feel as i have broken my left collar bone on my mountain bike and my right one on my motorbike. Both times they happened at the end of May which made me miss out on 2 summers.
I’ve had a plate and screws on my right collar bone and its still took the same time to heal as when i broke the left one without and operation. Best thing is dont have an operation on it and let it heal naturally.
Trust me, my right collar bone with the plate hurts every morning and gives me trouble while sleeping even after three years. I’ve not had a problem with my left one snce it has healed naturally.

Hope that helps. Any more info you need just drop me a mail.

As usual it depends. When I broke mine at Mayhem in 2005 the doctor I saw first said that 90% heal on their own so we’d just leave it and see what happened. After three months, I got a second opinion, and the consultant said that 0% of breaks like mine (the ends of the bone were a good inch apart) healed on their own and the only answer was a plate. He also said that if I didn’t do anything strenuous I could happily spend the rest of my life with a separated collarbone. I did Mayhem 2006 with the plate still in and had it removed in October as the consultant said that breaking it again (which was likely as I ride a unicycle, mountain bike, motorcycle and go skiing) with a plate in would make a bit of a mess that would be harder for him to fix.

yup – broke it on sunday

getting the message from everyone i speak to, you have to ask / demand with the NHS, otherwise you get squat. off to the fracture clinic thursday, see what they think (it is poking out at an odd angle)

cheers everyone

HTFU and get some rollers.

my turbo is at the ready, don’t know how i’m going to cope with work without finishing the day lost in the hills.

Capt. – I did the search for you – if you want to pay this is the way to go

mike-at-dialledbikes – Member

Go to Dr Brian Simpson in Ipswich and get it lasered. I know people who have been riding again in under 2 weeks after getting the treatment.

Pro motorcyclists swear by this guy

Home

Thanks T-J, I will definetley check him out, thinking about it, climbing mates swear by laser treatment. i’ll let you all know how it goes

…had it removed in October as the consultant said that breaking it again (which was likely as I ride a unicycle, mountain bike, motorcycle and go skiing) with a plate in would make a bit of a mess that would be harder for him to fix.

That’s interesting. Had mine plated* in 2001, and having it removed at a later date was never mentioned. Never had any problems, but, as you say, breaking it with a plate in would be a mess.

*Looked like this, so after a token three weeks of seeing if it would start to heal naturally, they plated it, and I was riding within a further three weeks.

MAN UP TO IT

i broke mine at bristol bike fest then rode for the remaining laps.
In a sling for 2 days and it started to p155 me off so took it of .
only had 1 week off the bike, raced at the weekend and it all seems to be fine.

Oh and had no pain killers apart from some neurofen at bike fest

Its no good going on everyone elses experience of a broken collarbone, they vary… They always either end up in a lump or a dent though so its not uncommon for it to look funny, if its nothing too spectacular 4 weeks in a sling and you will be OK….

Broke mine twice.