Training & Nutrition - Clavicle busted. :(

Doctor told me 10 weeks off the bicycle, so I figure four/five weeks max and I'll be back out there. It's a clean break and the xray shows that the break is maybe 1cm out of alignment.

Suxs. :notamused:

Sorry to hear that, I went through it years ago. Good luck, heal quickly.

Doctor told me 10 weeks off the bicycle, so I figure four/five weeks max and I'll be back out there. It's a clean break and the xray shows that the break is maybe 1cm out of alignment.

Suxs. :notamused:

Bummer. Did you have some soft tissue damage as well? Your clavicle really should heal in 4-6 weeks.

... Brad

Bummer. Did you have some soft tissue damage as well? Your clavicle really should heal in 4-6 weeks.

... Brad


Not sure, I think the doctor is just over estimating. I have to go for another xray July 8th.

So not much to do except watch old race videos and drink beer then?

Doctor told me 10 weeks off the bicycle, so I figure four/five weeks max and I'll be back out there. It's a clean break and the xray shows that the break is maybe 1cm out of alignment.

Suxs. :notamused:

Misery must love company...I broke my right clavicle on June 1st.

10 weeks sounds like a pretty long time...how old are you?

FWIW, I'm 55, and my doc indicated probably 8 weeks off the bike. But, he didn't give a specific date either. I get follow-up x-rays next Tuesday...hopefully they'll show lots of healing by then, and he'll give me a timeline for when I can ride again.

Based on what I've read, I recommend taking supplemental calcium (up to 4-5 grams/day), supplemental magnesium (up to 2 grams/day - so the calcium won't constipate you), folic acid, and 4-10 grams of C per day. Maybe some additional zinc too.

I'm 19 days post-break, and the clavicle is feeling much better (no pops or grinding noises, and less pain than last week).

Are you wearing a sling or a figure-8? I'm in a figure-8, because it allows me to type and use the mouse (that's my day job).

Listen to your doc. I broke my collar bone in 2 spots such that I had to be plated and have a bone graft. Today is 9 weeks post op - breaks that require bone grafts tend to heal slower but he indicated I should be able to ride after my 12 week checkup on 7/9.

The look at the x-rays to determine if the bone has sufficient density. It's better to wait an extra week or two than go back too fast and having an accident that will slow things down even further or require more invasive procedures.

Takes about a year for the clavicle to get back to full strength...

The trainer is your friend. I blasted mine last fall. Had to wait 5 days for the surgery. I was on the trainer 4 days after that. Just be smart about it.

The trainer is your friend. I blasted mine last fall. Had to wait 5 days for the surgery. I was on the trainer 4 days after that. Just be smart about it.

maybe some tips on how to be smart would help the OP be just that....smart ;).

later.

Didn't Tyler Hamilton complete the Tdf (and finish top 5 or so?) with a busted clavicle a few years ago? Of course, he may or may not have been on the needle at the time...

My $0.02. I broke my clavicle as a teenager and every doctor I've been to since agrees that it has contributed to my back/neck problems. Let it heal.

I broke mine without it even being displaced it was an estimate of 6-12 weeks for normal recovery. I talked to an ortho doc once who mentioned that ortho estimates are always in sets of 6 week cycles, and the clavicle is probably something where they figure it's more than six, but less than 12 weeks for healing :)

I still have some grinding feeling in the shoulder along where the clavicle broke, and I did mine in October of last year. Sucks, but I'll definitely say that after two weeks it was distinctly less painful, and I felt genuinely fine again at 6 weeks, roughly.

Just be careful falling off of things in the meantime...