Collarbone Pain

The collarbone or clavicle is a curved bone that extends from the mid chest region to the shoulders. Its basic function is to serve as a strut or a rigid support from which the shoulder blade and the limb are suspended and also transmits physical impacts from the arms to the head and trunk of the human body. Unlike the other bones of the body, the clavicle is covered mostly by the skin instead of muscles. This makes the region increasingly prone to a number of injuries and the resultant pain. In fact, clavicle fractures are the most common instances of broken bones especially in football and hockey players and even among newborns. Children and adolescents may also be prone this pain and injuries as the clavicle ossifies and develops only in the late teenage years.

Causes
Collarbone pain is usually associated with collarbone fractures and the mal-union of a fracture. Most of the clavicle fractures are the result of direct blows to the shoulder usually from the top or an indirect injury caused by a blow to the shoulder. Injuries may also occur when you fall on an outstretched arm. Surprisingly newborns are also prone to getting clavicle injuries especially after a difficult birth. Even children and young teenagers whose bones haven't hardened by that age can suffer from collarbone fractures and pain. Most of the cases of collarbone fractures occur in the middle of the bone. Here are some of the common symptoms that can help you identify the symptoms of a collarbone fracture.

Symptoms of a Collarbone Fracture
Fractures and injuries to the collarbone result in extreme pain in the shoulders and the upper chest region. The sharp shoulder pain is often accompanied by sagging shoulders and an inability to lift the arm. Most of the people who are able to lift their arms observe a grinding sensation and popping or clicking of bone with movement. Since there is an absence of muscular cover on the collarbone, the obvious bone deformity is visible as a lump on the shoulder or along the bone where there is a fracture. The collarbone pain and swelling are often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and dizziness which are usually the result of the extreme pain. Most people also complain of this pain while breathing and running.

Treatment
Treatment for the collarbone pain involves immobilizing the affected arm and supporting the shoulder with a sling or a "clavicle strap" to aid in the healing process. This is accompanied by some measures of pain relief and some rehabilitation measures that include post injury diagnosis for increasing strength and flexibility of the arm. Most of the time, the bone is allowed to heal by itself with some monitoring progress every few weeks. In only five percent of the cases is surgery employed. However, for adult patients and in cases where there is skin penetration, collarbone treatment might need a surgery.

The healing time of the collarbone fractures and pain may vary based on the complexity of the fracture, the age, health and location of the bone displacement. The healing time for children includes two weeks while for the adults the tissue heals in a minimum time of three to four weeks. Preventing collarbone pain includes inclusion of measures such as wearing protective equipment such as well fitted shoulder pads while playing or riding.