Clavicle Recovery

Unfortunately I absolutely smoked my collarbone yesterday, just looking for anecdotal information regarding recovery. Been doing research online and talking to pt friends, but definitely interested in some more info on it from the perspective of other climbers. Surgery in 5 days! -EY

Good work on that one!

i’ve broken my left clavicle three times.  Generally speaking it’s a pretty quick recovery.  MotoGP riders are often racing days after surgery (but they are also getting paid)

My anecdotal evidence is that long term it has not affected my climbing.  (I don’t update ticks, but for reference I’m 52 and have RP’d a couple 5.13a’s in the past few weeks and bouldered up to V8 on a couple kinds of rock within the last 6 months).  

You might be out for a month or so, or maybe less if the surgeon agrees.  (Provided you just broke the clavicle and didn’t do other shoulder damage). In my experience it should be an ok and relatively easy recovery.  Good luck!!   Was it two-wheel related accident or snow related?  

The recovery from a broken collarbone is pretty straightforward. I just followed the PT guidelines to increase range of motion and then strengthen the shoulder again. In the meantime I also did finger pulls on a finger block attached to a pulley system that allowed me to not need to lift my arm up so that I maintained some semblance of finger strength. I’m not sure if this was a good idea (to put any weight on the arm while it was still healing) but it didn’t end up hurting me. I was back on rock in 6 weeks. Zero long term effects.

scn wrote:

Good work on that one!

i’ve broken my left clavicle three times.  Generally speaking it’s a pretty quick recovery.  MotoGP riders are often racing days after surgery (but they are also getting paid)

My anecdotal evidence is that long term it has not affected my climbing.  (I don’t update ticks, but for reference I’m 52 and have RP’d a couple 5.13a’s in the past few weeks and bouldered up to V8 on a couple kinds of rock within the last 6 months).  

You might be out for a month or so, or maybe less if the surgeon agrees.  (Provided you just broke the clavicle and didn’t do other shoulder damage). In my experience it should be an ok and relatively easy recovery.  Good luck!!   Was it two-wheel related accident or snow related?  

thanks so much! this is good to hear. snow related....

 It definatly hurts like hell.  I got mine courtesy of a 180Kph high side.. No surgery . just the harness thing that pulls your shoulders back.  untill it fuses together you feel every single little bump as the ends of the bone grate against each other.  I was young ,dumb and tough. Never missed a Karate class. Did one armed push ups and whatever else I could manage.   rebroke it twice. alcohol was involved. Slipped on icy steps leaving a bar and fell down them on my butt. Elbow in sling hit every single step on the way down. That hurt.. The other Time I rebroke it  I hit a railroad crossing a bit too fast in my 73 Delta 88. Caught legit air.. thats a lot of Detroit iron and it laned Hard.. pretty sure it rebroke that time as well. once I finally let it fuse properly it healed 100%  I have a big lump there but no issues as far as strength or mobility.