Originally Posted by
zandoval
Just leave the upper body to heal - The more you move it the longer it takes to heal - If the specialist offers you an option of fixation I would take it - With fixation you will heal faster because of less movement...
Walking long slow distances with leg weights is probably your best work out for now...
Having had a plate and screws put in to fix mine in May 2008, I can tell you that it is not the option I would choose if I were to break my other side. 4 years later, it can still cause excruciating pain when faced with genuine impact. I've also had to have the screws reset as they can migrate back out as the bone recalcifies around them.
Originally Posted by
MrTuner1970
You can probably get on the trainer pretty soon. Haven't broken a clavicle yet, but had a friend (general surgeon actually) who was on his trainer within 2-3 weeks time.
I'd listen to your doctors, and also let pain be your guide.
I was back on a recumbent stationary a week after during PT sessions, and genuinely back to full exercising (running) about 4 weeks post surgery. YMMV
Originally Posted by
LeeRoySD
I elected to have Surgery (Strap and screws) which was undergone about a week and a half after the accident. I was back on the stationary trainer 4 or 5 days post surgery. I was back on the road in 3.5 weeks in "reasonably safe" conditions. I resumed racing about 6 weeks post surgery. My delay in resuming activities was really more fear of the damage that could be caused by a subsequent crash before the bone had a chance to start re-calcifying than inability to ride. I eschewed all pain medication (other than whatever was administered during the actual procedure) as I feel that it can slow the body's healing processes (provided that you can still rest well... you HAVE to actually sleep well to heal rapidly). Every situation is different though, so please listen to your doctors and/or PT's. Several months after, I am still happy with my decision to have mine surgically repaired. I have some numbness due to severed nerves that unfortunately is just part of this procedure. However, I have absolutely no loss of strength or range of motion which was important to me. Sorry to hear of your accident and good luck with the healing.
It took almost 2 years for me to regain about 95% of the sensitivity of my skin around mine. I lost a minor amount of ROM, but it's easily fixed with a back scratcher.
In all fairness, I had shattered mine. I spent two weeks waiting for it to start healing on the recommendation of one orthopaedic surgeon who only took x-rays, before I got a 2nd opinion from one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the country. One MRI later, he scheduled me for surgery, giving me a 3 hour estimate for being under. In the end, it took twice as long as he had estimated, and he needed another assistant surgeon to get it done.
All told, it made me glad I had health insurance, as the final bill was north of $50k for my surgery. It left me with a scar from the center of my chest to the end of my shoulder, and a 2nd smaller scar about 1/2" long above that (couldn't reach all of the screws from one incision). He's reopened that smaller scar once to reset those two screws.
It was an interesting experience that I would not want to repeat if I could avoid it.