Collar Bone Pain Physiotherapy
The collar bone is also known as the clavicle, and is a fairly common source of pain especially when it gets injured. The bone itself can be bruised or broken (fracture), or be painful due to wear and tear (arthritis), or the ligaments can be injured too.
Contents
Anatomy
Most clavicles are about 15 cm long, and it connects our upper arms to our body at two different, nearby joints:
- sternoclavicular joint (the joint between the sternum and the clavicle)
- acromioclavicular joint (the joint between clavicle and the acromion process of the shoulder blade)
The good news is that these joints are supported by pretty strong ligaments that hold them securely in place, together with neck and shoulder muscles that connect to the clavicle.
Broken clavicles
…are the most common source of collar bone pain. Plus point: our collarbones are the MOST common bone to break.
Good news is that clavicle fractures are usually pretty straightforward to treat and manage, and heal within 3 months most of the time.
Causes:
- direct trauma or force onto the shoulder
- transmitted force transferred from hand/wrist to clavicle eg fall on outstretched arm, driver involved in accident
Symptoms:
- collar bone soreness and pain
- deformity such as obvious discontinuation of clavicle bone
- difficulty moving shoulder
Treatment:
- most cases are non surgical, just with shoulder physiotherapy
- severe or complex cases where bone fractures more than 3 pieces or pierces through skin may require surgery to stabilize bone
Recovery time:
- adults typically within 6 weeks, max 12 weeks, give or take
- children 4-8 weeks, give or take
Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) Ligament Injury
The acromioclavicular joint is held securely in place by 4 strong ligaments, and damage to any of these ligaments will cause collar bone pain and even instability.
Types of ligament damage includes: sprains (overstretch), partial or complete tears.
Causes:
- falling onto shoulder on the side or onto outstretched arms
- repetitive heavy load carrying and lifting (yes, including weight lifting)
Symptoms:
- collar bone soreness and pain that worsens with shoulder movements, especially with resistance or load
- decreased shoulder range of movement
Treatment:
- most are treated without surgery (conservatively), wearing a sling for about 4-6 weeks together with shoulder physio
- ligament tears may require surgery to increase stability
Recovery:
- ligament healing ranges: partial tears may heal slower (>3 months) than full rupture + surgery (<3 months) because of their poor blood supply
Acromioclavicular Joint Arthritis
When there is wear, tear and degeneration of the cartilage and bones, leading to arthritis, that’d be another source of pain in the clavicle as well. With arthritis, the natural space between two bones (the joint) narrows and eventually starts to irritate and hurt each other, eventually leading to pain.
Though it’s caused by normal use, sometimes arthritis can be caused by events such as
- infections
- diseases
- injuries
Causes:
- wear and tear
- repetitive use in playing and lifting and sports
- direct damage or disease
Symptoms:
- ache and pain of the collar bone
- pain more intense when you reach across your chest
Treatment:
- arthritis physiotherapy
- shoulder physiotherapy
- activity and lifestyle modifications
- medicine
- injections
In rare severe cases, patients may choose to remove a portion of the collarbone to create more space between the clavicle and acromion, followed by sling wear for 4-6 weeks and combined with shoulder physio
Recovery:
- degenerative changes to cartilage and bone can’t be reversed, so what physio can do is to strengthen the shoulder muscles to offload joint pressure
Distal Clavicular Osteolysis (Weightlifters Shoulder)
Tiny micro-fractures occur in the clavicle closest to the shoulder due to repetitive forces through the bone from frequent load bearing and training. The main reason for this is because the bone does not get a chance to heal completely due to regular heavy, heavy weight lifting.
After some time, the bone gradually breaks down and is reabsorbed into the body, faster than it can be repaired. This is callsed osteolysis.
Causes:
- repetitive weight and load bearing activities where elbows are behind the body eg push ups and bench pressing
Symptoms:
- dull ache in collar bone
- more painful when arm crosses chest
- pain worsens with overhead lifting and throwing
Treatment:
- usually can resolve by itself after a couple of years if patient can avoid aggravating it
- shoulder physio to strengthen other shoulder muscles
- injections and medication can help to manage pain
Acute Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis is a very rare type of collar bone pain caused by bone infection.
Causes:
- infection in bone after injury to bone
- possible rare side effect of head and neck surgery
Symptoms:
- sharp pain
- fever
- swelling
Treatment:
- antibiotics (oral, but ideally through IV drip) for 4-8 weeks without stop
- severe cases may need surgery to remove dead or infected tissues
Recovery:
- collar bone pain that’s caused by osteomyelitis can settle after 4-8 weeks of antibiotics BUTTTT it can return if patient becomes weakened due to infections or immunity issues
Sternoclavicular Joint Injury
Sternoclavicular joint is the joint between the sternum (bone at the front of the ribs) and the clavicle. It’s very rare to get injured or pain here.
Causes:
- forceful blow to the sternum, shoulder front/back or top of collarbone
- typically caused by motor vehicle accidents or sports event
Symptoms:
- collar bone pain near sternum
Treatment:
- rest
- anti-inflammatories
- physiotherapy including ultrasound therapy
Recovery:
- will take 6-12 weeks for the ligament to recover
Where To Next?
- Go to Home / Start
- Learn and find out more about your pains (bones, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves etc) at Pain Conditions & Injuries
- Visit our shop to see products we recommend for pain relief, heating, treatments and more
- Contact us
