i broke my collarbone yesterday playing football, and i'm sat at home this morning feeling slightly painful and very frustrated (right side, right handed). the footy boots and shinpads are now in the bin, 40 is too old for contact sports!
i'd be grateful for any advice if you've ever done the same...how long can i expect to be in a sling, am i likely to get "back to normal", or will i always be aware of the injury? i don't think it's anything more than a standard break, i have to attend the local fracture clininc in a few days, and i'm hoping 3-4 weeks should see me back at work?
i'm resigned to losing condition/toning on the upper body (although i was hardly a schwarzenegger in the first place) but beyond getting out for long walks, any ideas how i can retain a little of my cv base, and avoid putting on too much weight? i'm not a member of a gym, and normally would cycle to work most days, and run twice a week.
thanks...off to put the kettle on, that should kill half an hour...
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Good luck.
it's surprised me how many people i've spoken to in the last few days who have had the same injury, or know someone who has. almost without fail the advice has been pretty much the same...put up with the sling for as long as you're told to, don't rush back to work, get some physio started after 2-3 weeks, and later on look at strength/upper body type stuff to bring it all together.
i shall follow your tip about leg work, and hopefully in 6 months or so it will all be just a bad memory!
thanks again.
Be really, really careful - the damage should heal quite quickly (3-4 weeks) but then it will be a bit fragile for a few weeks thereafter. My second break was caused by me lifting my arms up to wash my hair before the bone had properly healed.
The good news is that I have no legacy from the injury only a bone which is slightly contorted because of the scar tissue
martin thanks for the advice. i feel loads better even after 5 days, and it will be really tempting to get back into working and exercising asap. i'll have to be quite disciplined about things, and take a long term view.
it's reassuring to hear you had no lasting damage as well, i had it in mind that i would always be weaker or somehow less efficient on that side.
thanks a lot
It was still painful sleeping on that side for sometime afterwards. I certainly wouldn't recommend outdoor cycling in the intial recovery period, even though Tyler Hamilton managed to do virtually all of the 2003 tour with a broken collarbone - that said he's subsequently been found to have done blood doping.
Yes, I'd have though been back at work in that time is certainly feasible. Having a office job, I was able to continue after the initial break.
Still felt slight pain when walking with a rucksack in the initial year, but year on was as good as new.
Anyhow, they heal reasonably quickly. In a sling for a month and then take it easy for a second month.
Let the pain be the judge of how soon you can re-start activities. If it hurts - stop!
What I remember most was that the painkillers they give you in hospital are a damned site better than the ones you get from the chemist ;-)
"take it easy" seems to be the advice from all quarters, so i will.
thanks