Broken collarbone: symptoms, treatment and recovery time

The NHS says you may have broken your collarbone if you have been injured and your shoulder is very painful, swollen or bruised, has changed shape, or has bone sticking out of the skin.

Sometimes a broken collarbone can lead to complications that cause other symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or coughing up blood, but the NHS says this is rare.

The NHS says to get medical advice as soon as possible. While you are waiting to see a doctor, use a towel or bandage to put the affected arm in a sling, stop any bleeding by putting pressure on the wound with a clean towel or dressing if possible, avoid using the affected shoulder or arm, and avoid touching the bone if it is sticking out of the skin.

The NHS says to get help from NHS 111 if you have been injured and your shoulder is very painful, very swollen or bruised, or you cannot use your arm normally.

The NHS says to go to A&E if you have been injured and your shoulder has changed shape, has swollen very quickly, or has bone sticking out of the skin, you are bleeding heavily, or you are having difficulty breathing, have chest pain or are coughing up blood. It says to call 999 if you are unable to get to A&E.

The NHS says you will need X-rays to check whether you have broken your collarbone, and that it needs to be treated in hospital. Your arm will usually be put in a sling to help the collarbone heal, and you will be given painkillers. If the break is very bad you may need surgery to repair it, but this is rare.

You will usually be shown some shoulder and arm exercises to do at home to help you recover quicker, and you will need follow-up appointments to check how your collarbone is healing, according to the NHS.

Frimley Health says the treatment for most of these fractures is a sling placed on the affected side, that the shoulder and arm can be moved out of the sling as comfort allows when changing clothes or washing, and that you may need to wear your sling for 4 to 6 weeks. It suggests baggy clothing for the first few weeks to help with dressing.

The NHS says most people recover from a broken collarbone in 6 to 8 weeks, and that children often recover quicker, usually in 3 to 4 weeks. You may need to wear a sling for 2 to 3 weeks, then rest your shoulder for a few more weeks and keep doing your exercises until it is fully recovered.

Frimley Health says you can expect the collarbone to be painful for 4 to 12 weeks, though it should improve, and that swelling over the fracture is normal and produced by healing bone. It may take a year to disappear, and a small bump commonly remains.

The NHS says to take painkillers regularly to help with the pain, do the shoulder and arm exercises you have been given, and try to do your usual daily activities as much as possible without using your shoulder. It says not to lift or play sport while recovering and to ask your doctor when you can go back to more physical activities.

Frimley Health says you may find sleeping upright less painful and that you should avoid sleeping on the affected side. It advises light duties only if you return to work, avoiding lifting, moving and twisting movements, and says not to drive in a sling because it is illegal, and to check with your insurer when it is safe to return to driving.

The NHS says children often recover from a broken collarbone quicker than adults, usually in 3 to 4 weeks. The same advice to seek medical help, have an X-ray and use a sling applies to children.

On the NHS a suspected broken collarbone is assessed through A&E, an urgent treatment centre or NHS 111, followed by X-ray and, in some areas, review by a virtual fracture clinic. Frimley Health explains that your X-ray is referred to the orthopaedic team, who contact you if follow-up is needed.

Private orthopaedic and physiotherapy services are available for follow-up and rehabilitation, but a suspected break should be assessed urgently first.