Collarbone pops, anyone else?

Just wondering if anyone can provide insight or relate to this strange unilateral popping sensation in collarbone whenever I lower my arms from a raised position. No pain but sometimes feels like an uncomfortable tension if I’m moving arms down very slowly. Been going on for a while and to my knowledge no hx of shoulder injury or other injury to the area.  It feels like the middle of my right clavicle (it feels more medial than AC joint but I can’t be sure..)

 I’m hoping to come up with some stretches or exercises to help whatever it is. Thanks for any input.

I have this EXACT same problem. Any suggestions? 

You might have a low grade (1-2) acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation with some crepitis (rubbing, grinding, creaking) at the AC joint. If there was a clavicle fracture it would likely be painful. A really heavy pack or even laying in bed the wrong way could cause some injury to the joint. Rare, but possible - I know a guy who completely tore his biceps tendon rolling around in bed, and another person who tore theirs lifting a gallon of milk - likely after a number of smaller tears had accumulated. 

I was awarded with a grade 5 AC joint separation after a bike crash that requied joint reconstruction surgery. Even now at 11 weeks postop when I have my hand out at about nipple hight and move it horizontally back and forth I can get some popping/clicking since the free (distal) end of the clavicle isn't yet totally healed (scar tissue still maturing, grafted ligament still a little loosy, muscles weak and can't stabilize the region). Sometimes this is called a piano key injury b/c the clavicle sticks up at the AC joint and when you press down on it clicks/grinds/pops. Try that. I'd see a doctor and have them order an xray for a look inside. 

Surgery is inducated for grade >3 so you're probably not a candidate. But PT will definitely help if this is your situation.

Good luck! 

Bryan H wrote:

You might have a low grade (1-2) acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation with some crepitis (rubbing, grinding, creaking) at the AC joint. If there was a clavicle fracture it would likely be painful. A really heavy pack or even laying in bed the wrong way could cause some injury to the joint. Rare, but possible - I know a guy who completely tore his biceps tendon rolling around in bed, and another person who tore theirs lifting a gallon of milk - likely after a number of smaller tears had accumulated. 

I was awarded with a grade 5 AC joint separation after a bike crash that requied joint reconstruction surgery. Even now at 11 weeks postop when I have my hand out at about nipple hight and move it horizontally back and forth I can get some popping/clicking since the free (distal) end of the clavicle isn't yet totally healed (scar tissue still maturing, grafted ligament still a little loosy, muscles weak and can't stabilize the region). Sometimes this is called a piano key injury b/c the clavicle sticks up at the AC joint and when you press down on it clicks/grinds/pops. Try that. I'd see a doctor and have them order an xray for a look inside. 

Surgery is inducated for grade >3 so you're probably not a candidate. But PT will definitely help if this is your situation.

Good luck! 

Grade 5 here. No surgery, 2.5 years until no pain. 3ish years, zero pain, more ROM, and was back top getting after everything without worry.
I performed my own PT, but am a trained, so yay free PT.
My AC and CC are completely severed. I was told I should get surgery, but decided on PTing and if I stopped progressing or went backward long enough, I would go under the knife.

Hope your healing well. I have met very few folks that have been awarded grade 5 and more want ya to know, you can come back well, if not seemingly completely from such a thing.

Mr Rogers wrote:

Grade 5 here. No surgery, 2.5 years until no pain. 3ish years, zero pain, more ROM, and was back top getting after everything without worry.
I performed my own PT, but am a trained, so yay free PT.
My AC and CC are completely severed. I was told I should get surgery, but decided on PTing and if I stopped progressing or went backward long enough, I would go under the knife.

Hope your healing well. I have met very few folks that have been awarded grade 5 and more want ya to know, you can come back well, if not seemingly completely from such a thing.

My shoulder was super slumpy with the Gr 5 so my doctor (Stanford Sports Ortho, same guy who takes care of the Warriors, Stanford varsity teams) was concerned about messing up the whole "sytem" and everything going out of whack anatomically. But that was just 1 opinion so idk. I did a lot of youtube research and found this guy who clearly has a Gr 5 and is fine, but he also is wayyyy more muscled up than I am so he is probably a very low risk for out of whack anatomy. Lots of beef holding the system together. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYwfr-R5M_Y