Treating a Broken Collar Bone

The clavicle or the collar bone is very fragile in nature. It is perfectly possible to break it even as you change your posture. A little pressure at the wrong angle might cause the bone to crack as well. However, a collar bone fracture heals easily too. That too without the aid of a cast. A broken collar bone may have certain long term impacts associated with the fracture. As most doctors tend to heal the bone by simply packing you off home in a sling, you need to read up on the topic in order to see that your bone heals perfectly. These are a few simple precautions that you need to take in order to monitor the healing of  your collarbone.

If you feel excruciating pain in the general area of your collar bone along with swelling and tenderness of the region it is best to have an X-Ray taken at the emergency room of a clinic.

The arm needs to be kept confined in a sling for the initial seven days because it is necessary to keep the shoulder region completely immobilized. You can put on a cold compress in order to bring the swelling down. You need to take adequate rest as well.

It is mandatory to replace the sling with a figure of 8 harness after a week. The harness wraps tightly around the shoulder and can improve your posture considerably. This will help in facilitating the healing process too.

You need to keep on the support for at least a couple of weeks after the injury . A simple clean fracture of the clavicle will heal within that period. However, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor before getting rid of it all together.

Resting the clavicle is essential even after you take off the support. Lifting weight or sudden twisting movements of the upper torso is best avoided for an additional period of 6 weeks or so. The healing process of the clavicle continues well over a year but you may not be able to notice any change after the initial  few months.