Afractured clavicle, or fractured collarbone, generally occurs from a fall onto the shoulder or after enough pressure is placed on the bone that it breaks. The fracture may be partial or complete and often requires surgical repair or immobilization while it heals.
Every fracture is different. So it’s important to work closely with your healthcare provider andphysical therapistto design a clavicle fracture rehabilitation program that is specific to your injury, fitness level, and lifestyle.
In general, all rehab exercise programs are designed to help someone regain fullrange of motionand then full strength.
This article offers guidelines for a clavicle fracturephysical therapytreatment plan and the do’s and don’ts to follow throughout it. It also outlines activities in a standard exercise program in the first week, from weeks two to four, four to eight, eight to 12, and 12 to 16.
Verywell / Laura Porter
Guidelines for Clavicle Fracture Rehab
Do’s
Don’ts
An Overview of Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy
You may be referred to physical therapy three to four weeks after your injury. Your physical therapist will take your history and do an assessment to determine specific ways they can help your rehabilitation.
The focus of your activities may include:
What Are Stomach Vacuum Exercises?
Standard Rehab Exercise Program
This program is designed to improve the functional mobility of your shoulder and arm. Work with your healthcare provider and physical therapist to design a custom rehab program that is appropriate for your condition.
Week 1
Standard daily exercise routine: You will performisometricor static exercises daily. During isometric exercises, you contract your muscles without movement. Here are the exercises you can expect to do:
Weeks 2 to 4
Isometric Shoulder Exercises
Weeks 4 to 8
If you’re healing well, you’ll start increasing your range-of-motion exercises and begin strengthening exercises:
Weeks 8 to 12
During this phase of rehab, you will work toward a full range of motion in all directions. Your strengthening exercise program will continue to progress, but you should avoid heavy lifting.
Focus on rebuilding muscle endurance using light weights and higher repetitions.
Weeks 12 to 16
If your physical therapist says you’re ready, you’ll start a more aggressive strengthening program. Stop if you feel pain, instability, or “catches” in joint movements.
You may:
Take special care if you previously were active in sports training and/or competition. Your PT may not clear you for normal activity until testing shows that your injured side is as strong and flexible as the uninjured side.
Summary
Recovering from a clavicle fracture takes about four months. It may seem like a long time until you consider that the process is broken down into stages, with each lasting about four weeks after you reach week four. You’ll have to follow a list of do’s and don’ts as you proceed through a rehab program.
Throughout recovery, your focus will probably remain on pain relief, range of motion, strengthening, and scar tissue mobility. As you might expect, the challenges in your rehab program will generally intensify until you regain full strength.
Frequently Asked QuestionsBecause of its location, the collarbone receives the impact when you fall forward. Certain qualities make the bone vulnerable to a break:The collarbone doesn’t fully form until age 23-25 or possibly older, so fractures before that are more likely.There is little muscle or ligament support in the collarbone.The middle third of the bone is relatively thin.Learn MoreWhat to Know About Growth Plate FracturesYes. In fact, as long as you don’t need surgery, you should be able to start doing exercises for elbow motion soon after the injury.A physical therapist can guide you to the right exercises as you recover. Gentle shoulder exercises are necessary once your bone begins to heal. Gradually, you’ll add more strenuous activity.Learn MoreHow to Find a Physical TherapistA full recovery from a broken clavicle takes about four months.It could take longer if you have diabetes or smoke. It’s essential that you follow yourtreatment planand do not perform activities such as lifting objects before you’re completely healed. Rushing things may mean having to start rehabilitation from the beginning all over again.Learn MoreManaging the Cost of PT
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of its location, the collarbone receives the impact when you fall forward. Certain qualities make the bone vulnerable to a break:The collarbone doesn’t fully form until age 23-25 or possibly older, so fractures before that are more likely.There is little muscle or ligament support in the collarbone.The middle third of the bone is relatively thin.Learn MoreWhat to Know About Growth Plate Fractures
Because of its location, the collarbone receives the impact when you fall forward. Certain qualities make the bone vulnerable to a break:The collarbone doesn’t fully form until age 23-25 or possibly older, so fractures before that are more likely.There is little muscle or ligament support in the collarbone.The middle third of the bone is relatively thin.
Because of its location, the collarbone receives the impact when you fall forward. Certain qualities make the bone vulnerable to a break:
Learn MoreWhat to Know About Growth Plate Fractures
Yes. In fact, as long as you don’t need surgery, you should be able to start doing exercises for elbow motion soon after the injury.A physical therapist can guide you to the right exercises as you recover. Gentle shoulder exercises are necessary once your bone begins to heal. Gradually, you’ll add more strenuous activity.Learn MoreHow to Find a Physical Therapist
Yes. In fact, as long as you don’t need surgery, you should be able to start doing exercises for elbow motion soon after the injury.A physical therapist can guide you to the right exercises as you recover. Gentle shoulder exercises are necessary once your bone begins to heal. Gradually, you’ll add more strenuous activity.
Learn MoreHow to Find a Physical Therapist
A full recovery from a broken clavicle takes about four months.It could take longer if you have diabetes or smoke. It’s essential that you follow yourtreatment planand do not perform activities such as lifting objects before you’re completely healed. Rushing things may mean having to start rehabilitation from the beginning all over again.Learn MoreManaging the Cost of PT
A full recovery from a broken clavicle takes about four months.It could take longer if you have diabetes or smoke. It’s essential that you follow yourtreatment planand do not perform activities such as lifting objects before you’re completely healed. Rushing things may mean having to start rehabilitation from the beginning all over again.
Learn MoreManaging the Cost of PT
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wooster Community Hospital.Is Physical Therapy Right for You?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.Waldmann S, Benninger E, Meier C.Nonoperative treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures in adults.Open Orthop J. 2018;12:1-6. doi:10.2174/1874325001812010001Massachusetts General Hospital.Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.Mulligan EP, Huang M, Dickson T, Khazzam M.The effect of axioscapular and rotator cuff exercise training sequence in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized crossover trial.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(1):94-107.Orthobullets.Clavicle Fractures - Midshaft.Hughes JL, Newton PO, Bastrom T, Fabricant PD, Pennock AT.The Clavicle Continues to Grow During Adolescence and Early Adulthood.HSS J. 2020;16(Suppl 2):372-377. doi:10.1007/s11420-020-09754-8American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wooster Community Hospital.Is Physical Therapy Right for You?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.Waldmann S, Benninger E, Meier C.Nonoperative treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures in adults.Open Orthop J. 2018;12:1-6. doi:10.2174/1874325001812010001Massachusetts General Hospital.Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.Mulligan EP, Huang M, Dickson T, Khazzam M.The effect of axioscapular and rotator cuff exercise training sequence in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized crossover trial.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(1):94-107.Orthobullets.Clavicle Fractures - Midshaft.Hughes JL, Newton PO, Bastrom T, Fabricant PD, Pennock AT.The Clavicle Continues to Grow During Adolescence and Early Adulthood.HSS J. 2020;16(Suppl 2):372-377. doi:10.1007/s11420-020-09754-8American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wooster Community Hospital.Is Physical Therapy Right for You?Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.Waldmann S, Benninger E, Meier C.Nonoperative treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures in adults.Open Orthop J. 2018;12:1-6. doi:10.2174/1874325001812010001Massachusetts General Hospital.Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.Mulligan EP, Huang M, Dickson T, Khazzam M.The effect of axioscapular and rotator cuff exercise training sequence in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized crossover trial.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(1):94-107.Orthobullets.Clavicle Fractures - Midshaft.Hughes JL, Newton PO, Bastrom T, Fabricant PD, Pennock AT.The Clavicle Continues to Grow During Adolescence and Early Adulthood.HSS J. 2020;16(Suppl 2):372-377. doi:10.1007/s11420-020-09754-8American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).
Wooster Community Hospital.Is Physical Therapy Right for You?
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Clavicle fractures.
Waldmann S, Benninger E, Meier C.Nonoperative treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures in adults.Open Orthop J. 2018;12:1-6. doi:10.2174/1874325001812010001
Massachusetts General Hospital.Clavicle Fracture (Broken Collarbone).
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.
Mulligan EP, Huang M, Dickson T, Khazzam M.The effect of axioscapular and rotator cuff exercise training sequence in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized crossover trial.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016;11(1):94-107.
Orthobullets.Clavicle Fractures - Midshaft.
Hughes JL, Newton PO, Bastrom T, Fabricant PD, Pennock AT.The Clavicle Continues to Grow During Adolescence and Early Adulthood.HSS J. 2020;16(Suppl 2):372-377. doi:10.1007/s11420-020-09754-8
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Clavicle fracture (broken collarbone).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.
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