3 weeks post busted collar bone, and I'm bored at work looking up healing on the web.

It seems that recovery times vary quite a lot (3 weeks to 6 months depending on the person/break).
So cheer me up and tell me how soon you were back riding please 😉

back riding? never less than 6.

on the piss in Greece after 4. Book last minute flights.

I broke mine 10 years ago, and apart from my right shoulder being about 15mm lower than the other, it's trouble free. I rebroke mine by running across the road swinging my arms after 3 weeks (up to then I'd had almost no pain). I was able to ride after about 10 weeks even so

10 weeks before I got the all clear for mine, was an awkward break. The previous one was 6 weeks (not the same bone).

My nephew (at the time aged 21 years) broke his clavicle and also the top of his arm just below the shoulder joint.
took about 8 weeks I think. Anyway, when he got out of full arm plaster, his GP gave him an exercise to do which was basically to lean over from the waist up as far as he could and with a relaxed arm, try to rotate his whole arm in a circular motion from the shoulder.
I drove him home from his GP appointment and offered to help him get in to the swing (see what I did there?) of this exercise to get his arm and shoulder mobile again.
I went in to the other room for something while he started his exercise and when I came back into the room the dosy pillock was doing his exercise but with the previously unbroken limb! His reason? He thought the GP couldn't have meant his newly repaired arm because it was stiff from being in plaster for 8 or so weeks!

broke mine back at the end of march, spinning the legs on a road bike after 9 weeks, off road again two weeks later, only just starting to ride stoopidly again, but that a personal confidence thing…varies from person to person and the extent of the break.

Eat well, get plenty of Vit A and do your excercises as per physio as and when he advises and not before.

Happy healing

6 weeks till riding pretty much everytime i've done mine (3). left it another couple of weeks before going off road!

I broke mine into about 4 pieces at the shoulder end around 4 years ago, i have a lower shoulder and an alarming lump where it broke, other than that i have had no problems.

I was back riding road after 4 weeks, felt a bit tender though, i wouldnt have wanted to ride the mountain bike for at least 8 weeks.

Hmmm, can't really imagine riding in a weeks time. I can only just about pick up my coffee at the moment!

Where is it broken ?, its a different stopy if its in the middle or neck end

I broke mine into 3 pieces, pretty much in the middle, (the impact was on the back of my shoulder).
I was back cycling on the road in 3 weeks (1 handed), mountain biking was about 6 or 7 weeks, but it was about 10 weeks before I was fully mobile again!

I took calcium supplements (twice the recommended amount) and developed a massive lump of fresh bone around the break, it's still there now, 3 years later, but no where near as big as it was!

I broke mine in 2 places the bit in the middle spun 90 deg and was a really sore point that looked like it wanted to break through the skin, getting back on the bike (mx'r) was only delayed while waiting for the broken ankle to heal (same crash you see), so about 8 weeks until racing again, sadly broke the collarbone and the other shoulder (humerous, and not that funny at all) at about 9-10 weeks……

The good news was I knocked the horrible pointy bit that was due an operation to shave off back and up so no need for the opp. 🙂

No agro from the collar bone at all, however the not so funny humerous break isnt the same story, 25 years on and got a sore shoulder all the time. Agrevated bursa or something, I await some X rays, cortizone and whatever for that, as recent shed base digging (see chat forum) has really annoyed it..

The break is in the middle, so in theory shouldn't take too long.

All the surrounding muscles hurt quite a bit for a couple of weeks afterwards, I assume because the rest of the area was quite bashed up too (some good bruises). As such they haven't been moved much as are probably all weedy now. Maybe that's limiting my use of the shoulder as much as the bone?

yup it seems some hurt like the blazes, some dont much, guess its all to do with the damge to soft tissue around it as your finding, 3 weeks is not long, move it as much as you feel comfy with when your supposed too.

I broke mine into 3 pieces (1 horizontal break and 1 vertical) and 6 weeks to the day after breaking it I was riding off road again. It healed in a nice Z kinda shape too, though that's gone now.

I was on the turbo at home about a week after doing it.

I broke mine (uncomplicated) and was riding at around 6 weeks. It did zap my confidence for a year.

Hardest parts was sleeping for me

Mine was a reasonably uncomplicated break but I was out for 13 weeks. Rode carefully for 2 weeks then forgot all about it until my next off about a month later. Collar bone survived that.

3 years on, It's always the first thing I check after an off.

Broke mine in three last summer, end of June….

On the turbo after three weeks.
Back on the trails (gently), one day short of six weeks.
Back racing 17th Sept.

I rested it hard in the early stages.
It was tough trying to get some form back.
First few rides were tough, legs, back, both shoulder, sore.
I'm 53, I don't heal fast, but collar bones normally heal well, even if quite badly displaced.

Healing vibes dude.
You'll be ready for the cyclo-cross season 🙂

SB

I can't help cheer you up with healing stories but… I might be able to cheer you up with a "you're lucky it broke" story.

My father crashed getting cross rutted at speed (yes, poor show, but he was in is late 60s) and landed on his shoulder. His collar bone didn't break. Instead all the ligaments detached from his collar bone and shoulder blade. When he pushes on his left arm his collar bone pops up and tries to smack him in the ear. It's not something that repairs itself. You can get surgery to screw it all back together, but another crash can cause a major shoulder related explosion (so he hadn't bothered).

Hasn't stopped him riding (or crashing) though 🙂

Out of sling in 3 weeks, back on bike 3 weeks after that.

Then it was another 3 weeks before I fractured my elbow……..

some good breaks on this thread, must be something about mountainbiking that does the job proper! I hit a tree going pretty fast and done mine, back on the road bike after 4-5 weeks, just been out for a gentle ride on my mtb (7 weeks). mine is still buggered, and because of complications i'm going to have to have some bone taken off my hip and grafted in my shoulder – in the words of the consultant treating me, i'm unlucky!

This is the before and after on mine, managed two weeks in the Alps after 7 weeks, although I was a little sore when I got back!

I broke mine in the upper third 6 weeks ago. Had some more x-rays this week as it still hurts like buggery if I move my arm more than horizontal – unfortunately I am the 5% that doesn't heal.

Got to give it another 4 weeks to see if healing starts, otherwise I get the robocop treatment. Can just about ride a bike, but cant risk off road yet, so turbo trainer all summer for me 🙁 might just about be back riding in time for winter!

Actually biggest downside is the effect its had on my sex life, its on the side my wife sleeps so cant roll over that way. She's not complained though!

MTFU and try not to fall off your bike