collarbone vs. shoulder - advice?

[mazza111]

GL Leashy, we had to cancel Stacey's physio appointment due to a stomach bug. Was a bit apprehensive of going as it's a new physio she's seeing this time, alas we managed to get her another appointment about an hour later than she goes to appliances, so be able to kill 2 birds with one stone

[leashy11]

The verdict is in, the pop I heard was my shoulder popping out of position and all the collar bone pain, neck pain and shoulder pain is because of that so my physio has put it back in position, given me some very basic exercises to do and instructed me to wear my sling as often as I can which isn't often seeing as I live alone and have very little help!! However I'll pop it on tonight while I watch TV with a glass of red and hopefully now it's back in position things will calm down a bit. Thanks for the replies guys, it helps to know there are other bendies out there with experience!!

[Ames]

Do you guys find a sling helps when you dislocate or sublux your collarbone? I rotated mine around and had it put back in place and taped by a physio a couple of days ago (it was rotated round for about a week, but don't think it was dislocated?!) but it's so painful and is clicking a clunking every time I move so I'm wondering if a sling might help? Problem is my neck is so painful I'm not sure if the pressure of the sling might just make it worse!

Amy

[Retro]

Hi Ames,

A sling is the standard treatment for a collarbone or shoulder injury. There is a video here showing how to apply a sling. You will notice that the knot should be to the side rather than at the back, you may find wearing a sling uncomfortable on your neck tho'. You want to avoid wearing it all the time tho'. Has the physio given you any exercises for it? Are you due to see the physio again? If you don't have another appointment with the physio, make one and ask them what your best course of action is and whether you should use a sling

Lindsey

[Laura]

I'm hoping this is an okay place to post this...

My collarbones are troubling me increasingly and I wondered whether other people experience the same kind of pain, but also if anyone has found ways to alleviate it. Basically my collarbones are stable (I'm not aware that they've ever moved out of place), but I do tend to get a dull ache along them. It happens most frequently if I sit on an uncomfortable chair (eg. a hard plastic one with a curved back), but recently I've started getting the pains even when I'm sitting on comfortable chairs as well. Occasionally the pain also appears without any obvious cause, but I tend to shrug that off as part of my chronic pain moving around. But my collarbones getting increasingly sore from sitting is really very annoying, as it makes me dread all kinds of functions where I need to stay seated for extended periods of time, including it seems going to the theatre or a cinema, or going to a restaurant for a dinner. The only thing I can do to ease the pain is to get up and move around (less helpful during a client meeting or a training day). Heat might help, but it would be difficult to strap a hot water bottle to both of my collarbones and still attempt to do stuff. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

My collarbones (along with most of my bones) also have a number of sore spots, where even slightest pressure causes lingering pain. I tend to find that the closer to the skin the bone is (ie less muscle etc in the way), the sorer the bone will be. But that's been explained as Chronic Pain Syndrome and I've been told that I'll just have to live with it.

Laura

[mazza111]

Laura, do your shoulders sublux a lot? Could that be the cause? My daughter has just had her first shoulder sublux the other day, now her collarbone is in agony. She's so bad I'm considering a&e with her. The strongest co codimol aren't touching the pain, so think I'm gonna need to take her back to GP too to reassess what she's on.

[leashy11]

Have to say having mine put back in place, wearing a sling as often as possible and doing the exercises have helped alot, I still have some pain along the collar bone but nothing like the amount I did before. Previously I couldn't even stand the seatbelt touching it but now it's a dull ache with slight prickling sensation which I'm sure will be the muscles that are still upset after it. Slings are excellent to take the weight of the arm away and help alot especially if you wear them alot in the beginning. I bought a sling that cradles the elbow and velcros on so I've got it for any further problems.

[mazza111]

We didn't go to A&E as she was adamant she wasn't going to have another doc tell her she'll grow out of it Going to either try and see her GP about different pain relief and also to see the physio to see what they can recommend. I can understand her not wanting to go to A&E, but also think she should have went so that everything is on record for her ESA & DLA things when they come up. I've got to the stage with her, that I don't know what to do for the best. Can't do right for doing wrong kind of thing. Just so hard to believe that just over a year ago she was bouncing around like tigger without a care in the world and now she's like a wee old woman. Just heartbreaking to see her like that in such a short space of time.

[Laura]

Hi Mazza111

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter, I hope her shoulder settles down soon.

This sounds really dumb, but I'm really sure whether my shoulders sublux or not. They are pretty unstable and seem to have a tendency to slip slightly out of the sockets in various movements (in pilates the focus of any arm exercises for me is to keep my shoulders in the right place). No one has ever observed the wonkiness and called it subluxation, so I don't really know what subluxing something feels like. I've never noticed a correlation between the instability of my shoulders and the collarbone pain, but that doesn't mean that one doesn't exist. I'll certainly bear it in mind.

Laura