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Location: OK | Older adult broke collar bone in 2 places, was not pinned, ends are touching but not lined up well. Four weeks in and still quite a lot of pain. Please give me input on how long it took to get back to doing things, driving, lawn mowing, ironing, mopping and most of all saddling up and competing. I like to think I’m tough but this is rough. |
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| I just broke mine this summer actually. I am about 7 weeks out.
Mine did not shift when it broke, basically it is pretty dang close to lined up where it should be. Mine is very close to my shoulder joint and rotator cuff. The doctor actually didn't even think it was broke at first, and only did the x-ray to make sure my rotator cuff was okay. I did wear the brace they gave me for the first couple weeks and it worked incredibly. I was naughty and kept riding the entire time, and the brace really helped while I was riding. My sister and boyfriend would help saddle my horse at first, and I would use a bucket to get on.
I would say at the 4th week you're probably still going to be in a fair amount of pain. I was closing in on the 6th week and I was wondering when the heck it was going to start feeling better, and when I could sleep on my right side again. Finally started feeling better and now it only gets sore when I over use it, or keep my arms above my head for long periods of time.
Hang in there. . . it feels like forever but it does get better.
Edited by WrapN3MN 2014-08-25 3:31 PM
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | My friend broke hers last month and was back to riding about 10 days afterwards and barrel racing 14 days after breaking it! But she said after the first week it really didn't hurt that much anymore. Her's is broke about in the middle and is not lined up. Everyone is different...break position, if tendons/ligaments were involved, pain tolerance, etc.
Now...I separated my collarbone 3 years ago and did not get back on a horse for well over a month. I don't think I barrel raced for 2 months. It took me over a year to be able to sleep all the way through the night and not feel much pain during the day. To this day I still have issues with it feeling tired after working all day and I get really bad knots behind my opposite shoulder blade which cause headaches quite often. But mine was ligament related not bone. I was told I would have been better off breaking it. |
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| Mine was touching but not aligned and it did finally heal. It took a good six weeks and even then it still was tender. I'm sorry....probably not what you wanted to hear. |
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 Some Kind of Trouble
Posts: 4430
| I've broken a lot of bones and that was by far my worst one... seemed to take forever and a lot of pain. Sorry I don't have a better story for you! I can't remember how much time, but I never once thought to disobey doctors orders and try to do ANYTHING and I have a high pain tolerance. lol  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| I'm going to tell you about my experience; although it might freak you out a bit. I broke my left collarbone in May 2004 getting bucked off a colt. I got food poisioning in the 2nd week, which wow that was miserable...I'm sure you all know that it's not too much fun to throw up with a broken collarbone. I spent about 10 weeks in a figure 8. It was broke pretty severly; it wasn't lined up very well. It kind of looked like a V where the ends were trying to come together. I took about a week off from doing really anything. Then I went back to work (desk job) and drove, etc. I wasn't supposed to lift anything heavy for awhile though. I rode in August of 2004 basically because it didn't hurt too bad by then and I figured if it was going to heal it'd heal (plus had gotten another really nice colt that I just had to ride...LOL). I was going to an orthopedic guy that a lot of people I knew had gone to even though he wasn't on my insurance. About September he said it's not going to heal on it's own and I needed surgery. At that point I went to a different ortho guy because I couldn't afford to pay for surgery without help of my insurance. This guy said if I would have gone to him from the beginning he would have done surgery right away because it was broke that bad (he was a younger doctor than the first and worked on a lot of athletes). When he got in to do the surgery he said there was bone fragments in there and it was shattered pretty good. He had to grind the ends off because they had healed, but not healed back together. And I had to have a bone graph from my hip. He put in a plate and 6 screws. It was a long road; in a sling not supposed to move my arm at all for the 1st ten days, then in a sling another 2 weeks and could only move my arm with the assitance of my right arm...I was released to ride again in February 2005. It took about 2 years for me to fully recover; I could do most anything, but for example doing push ups felt like it was weak and going to break again until about the 2 year mark. Looking back in some ways I should have went and had a 2nd opinion sooner, but at the same time if I would have done that then I would be thinking "I wonder if it would have healed on it's own?" LOL BUT...if I wouldn't have waited I wouldn't have had a bone graph or the ends having to be ground off.
It is rough...I'm sorry you're going through this! It's no fun! If it's broke in two places and no one is saying surgery, I would suggest a second opinion...a second opinion never hurts. Seems to me if it's broke in two places it'll be hard for it to heal. And my x ray looked like the ends were pretty close, but like I said they were in the shape of a V. I had surgery in October 2004 and by February 2005 I was released to do most anything; although my doctor told me to be cautious because the bone could still be a little weak due to the healing process.
Edited by GWR 2014-08-25 4:54 PM
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 Mature beyond Years
Posts: 10780
Location: North of the 49th Parallel | I broke mine two years and then have had several dislocations and it's still not healed. I started lifting weights and dislocated it at about 30 lbs. I've been to two different surgeons about it and one said there was no way she'd do it and the other one said it needs to be done soon. It's an ongoing issue. I've been riding with mine the entire time.... and was only in a figure eight for two weeks. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: Kansas | I agree...get a 2nd opinion! Broke mine in two places. Doctor wanted to see if it would heal on its own. I asked how long, chances it would heal right and if not then what? He told me 10 - 14 days, 90% it would NOT heal right and if not then surgery. I told him I wasn't waiting 2 weeks with that percentage. They did surgery, 9 screws and a plate. I was told they would take it all out in six months. When the time came I said okay let's get this out and on with life. I was then informed that they do not take the screws / plate out unless it bothers you. Good thing they didn't tell me that at the start, because I'm sure I would have done to much to soon. Good luck with your collar bone and getting it fixed properly.
Edited by runnin hard 2014-08-25 8:03 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 514
| I broke mine in 08. I also broke my C7 so my recovery was long. Collar bone was the worst to break. It didnt line up and fused in between,so now it looks like a Z. For the most part its fine. But gets achy. My shoulder slopes too. |
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| I have broken both my collar bones one as a toddler that healed on its own and the other a few years ago. It broke in two places I was told if it did heal on its own it would form a knot and would probably be more painful. They went ahead and did surgery put a pin in and removed it once it was healed. I'm thinking it was maybe 2months before I could really do much ? It healed great though and only aches from time to time. |
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Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| bigblackhorse1 - 2014-08-25 8:11 PM
I broke mine in 08. I also broke my C7 so my recovery was long. Collar bone was the worst to break. It didnt line up and fused in between,so now it looks like a Z. For the most part its fine. But gets achy. My shoulder slopes too.
This is what they told me mine would do without surgery |
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 Did I miss the party?
Posts: 3864
| Mine wasn't lined up well either, bottom of one side and top of the other were touching. It was 1 of 6 broken bones from a horse wreck and it hurt the worst. Bones would rub together when I moved, it was horrible. Then, after 4 weeks, I had a plate put in. Woke up and instantly felt better because it was stabilized. Plate is still there almost 3 years later. Doesn't bother me at all.
Others I've known have been back to riding horses within a couple weeks. Totally depends on the break.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 616
Location: Texas | Bucked off a colt when I was 35 broke left collar bone and my left wrist, so I was in a sling with a cast on my arm to the elbow and and that awful gridle to pull my shoulders back. The collar bone did not line back up and it he healed with a knot, it took evey bit of six weeks, I had terrible muscle spasms, and did hurt. Stayed on hydrocodone for pain for the first 3weeks, it was an awful experience. Couldn't dry or comb my hair, had to wear sweats or wind pants cause I couldn't zip or pull up my own pants, or tie my shoes, and I am closterphobic and I would feel like I couldn't breath with all the crap on my body(I know sounds wired) now I still have pain where the knot is especially when it's cold or if my shoulder moves just the wrong way |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| runnin hard - 2014-08-25 6:00 PM
I agree...get a 2nd opinion! Broke mine in two places. Doctor wanted to see if it would heal on its own. I asked how long, chances it would heal right and if not then what? He told me 10 - 14 days, 90% it would NOT heal right and if not then surgery. I told him I wasn't waiting 2 weeks with that percentage. They did surgery, 9 screws and a plate. I was told they would take it all out in six months. When the time came I said okay let's get this out and on with life. I was then informed that they do not take the screws / plate out unless it bothers you.  Good thing they didn't tell me that at the start, because I'm sure I would have done to much to soon. Good luck with your collar bone and getting it fixed properly.
Yeah they didn't want to remove my plate and screws either. And actually I'm not sure I ever would. My doctor said that when it's removed that then you have to wait for the screw holes to heal and fill back in and that it'd be weak until they did. So basically it would have been another 3 months healing. I still have mine in and it's been almost 10 years. It's not too bad. Sometimes I have an ache in it but it's nothing like when it was broke. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Tx | Broke mine in Jan of 2013 getting bucked off. I went for my 2 week check and 1 dr said I could wait and it would heal on its own, another said he would suggest surgery. I opted for surgery and it was so much quicker and easier and I was fixing my own hair and riding my trustworthy guys within 3 weeks. I still have my 6.5 inch plate and 9 screws and they will not be removed unless they cause me problems. There are 2 screws on the front of my collar bone that he had to put in because the bone was splintering as he was putting in the plate, and they are bumps under my skin that can be seen but it doesn't bother me. The only part that I have a little issue with is the numbness... From the plate down about 3 inches and over into my arm/ armpit (at the front) is all completely numb.
Edited by Next to Heaven 2014-08-26 10:22 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Tx | runnin hard - 2014-08-25 8:00 PM
I agree...get a 2nd opinion! Broke mine in two places. Doctor wanted to see if it would heal on its own. I asked how long, chances it would heal right and if not then what? He told me 10 - 14 days, 90% it would NOT heal right and if not then surgery. I told him I wasn't waiting 2 weeks with that percentage. They did surgery, 9 screws and a plate. I was told they would take it all out in six months. When the time came I said okay let's get this out and on with life. I was then informed that they do not take the screws / plate out unless it bothers you.  Good thing they didn't tell me that at the start, because I'm sure I would have done to much to soon. Good luck with your collar bone and getting it fixed properly.
I had a friend that broke hers and she opted to try to wait, a year later and she still had shoulder sloping, pain, popping, grinding, couldn't reach the top of her head, and a large bump. She had the surgery and within 3 months was riding again. She still doesn't have the nerve to compete (cutting, roping or barrel racing) though. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 275
| I broke mine about 15 years ago. I fell off and landed on my left side and broke my collar bone, shoulder and arm joint on the right side from the impact. My collar bone came through my skin and there was about an inch between the two pieces. The way my arm broke, the ball part of my arm bone was cracked in half, but set perfectly. So they didn't want to do surgery on my collar bone, they wanted to preserve the joint. The worst was having that skin heal where it tore through and being in the figure 8 brace for so long. I am pretty sure I was down 12 weeks and my car was a stick so I couldn't drive. I rode a few weeks later but I was young and stupid back then, I would listen now!
I really have no lasting pain. My collar bone is disfigured where they finally "dripped" together to join. It looks like it just ends, but you can feel where it meets the other piece below it. It just feels weird to me if anyone touches it. It was a long recovery, but not the worst I have had. My right bra strap never stays up because that shoulder is shorter...that part sucks! Good luck! |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | I broke mine on Friday the 13th. My first broken bone & I learned the most commonly broken bone. I was bucked off. Mine was a floating piece that needed surgery but I had an autoimmune disorder which made it too risky for me to have surgery. They said it would heal but take longer. I was riding in 4 months but not feeling strong until 6 months.
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I suspect you should expect a lot of pain. If you have a sling wear it. The less it moves the better. NO lifting with that arm. Makes the pain worse. the bone is soft when it is healing. Give it time to heal. Mine was 5 months before it starting in feeling good. |
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Location: OK | Thank you all for your information. The XRay pictures look a lot like mine. I am now 5 weeks in and still in pain. I can handle that but I need to get back in the saddle because I have a nice 5 yr old and a 3 yr old that I would like to futurity. I am no where near being able to saddle one much less make a run. |
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