Member of the Month

X_MEMESWERVE_XX
March, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

How long to wait for broken collar bone?

profile picture
Needforbed
Posts: 10 - Karma: 9
hey, so i broke my collar-bone on wednesday, the two peices of bone are still in contact. Doctor told me i should wait 4 months before skiing. Does that seem about right? Can u guys tell me how long waited before u went skiing.
Thanks
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TheUngroomed
Posts: 1251 - Karma: 335
sling it, stuff your arm in your jacket, and dont fall on that side.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
That_One_Dude
Posts: 1050 - Karma: 760
Im not sure on how long, but instead just ski in a sling and instead of hitting rails and shit just film with your friends. I had a shoulder injury last year and did this. Not as fun as skiing but better than not skiing at all and you won't risk hurting it more.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
PartyHon
Posts: 2019 - Karma: 425
emphasis on the DONT. but it look me a good month but i broke mine in 5 places. take it easy
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TRSkier415
Posts: 137 - Karma: 71
Yeah, 4 months sounds a little bit out there. I crashed mtn biking a couple summers ago, broke the bone in two places and jammed one of the pieces in between the other two. Got surgery, they put in a plate and six screws, and sent me home: 6 weeks from crash to full recovery. And I've had friends with similar injuries who have gotten prognoses around 4-6 weeks too. Just see how it feels by like week 4 and go from there. Oh, and do your rehab (if you have any), super important.
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
TRSkier415
Posts: 137 - Karma: 71
Yeah, 4 months sounds a little bit out there. I crashed mtn biking a couple summers ago, broke the bone in two places and jammed one of the pieces in between the other two. Got surgery, they put in a plate and six screws in, and sent me home: 6 weeks from crash to full recovery. And I've had friends with similar injuries who have gotten prognoses around 4-6 weeks too. Just see how it feels by like week 4 and go from there. Oh, and do your rehab (if you have any), super important.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
MarkyMark1007
Posts: 114 - Karma: 31
My mom is a nurse and depending on how bad it is it can be 6-8 weeks. In football they say 8 so i would think if your careful 6 would be the soonest.
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
2L208
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 308
till your doctor says your are ok
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
Doctors usually overkill on recovery time at first to save the asses in terms of lawsuits if something does go wrong. Do the rehab they want you to and stay healthy and active as possible
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
I was going to give an example but my phone had other ideas. Anyway my friend fractured a vertebrae 3 weeks ago seriously under rotating a front and initially they said 3 months before she would ski again and today she can ski as soon as the back pain is gone. So dont be to downheartened when they say a timescale like that to begin with as it will most likely be less
13 years ago
2 0
profile picture
heroue
Posts: 247 - Karma: 50
4 to 6 weeks
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
scientist
Posts: 6920 - Karma: 348
eat healthy. lots of calcium, get on a stationary bike in a few weeks. should be 4 - 6 from the sound of your severity.
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Caspaaa
Posts: 4830 - Karma: 1,466
sling it, if the bones are in contact still the max recovery time is 8-10 weeks (i went right back to full contact hockey after 7 weeks and it was fine)

but yeah, skiing with a sling is also an option, just dont fall
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
DayMan
Posts: 4707 - Karma: 8,804
4 months seems a bit ridiculous. I shattered my kneecap last year and it took about 3 months so I would say a simple collar bone fracture like that would take 2 months tops
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
wasatch_rat
Posts: 1773 - Karma: 2,969
i broke my collarbone for the second time in november two years ago. only waited until late december or early january before i was riding again, but it was always in the back of my head not to fall on that side. i didn't feel 100% recovered until around march. so four months is a bit of overkill but until then your really are risking re-braking the fucker, but thats nothing that should keep you from shredding powder and cruising everywhere else.

drink lots of milk, find a vitamin with extra calcium (women's vitamins are almost the exact same as mens but with more calcium) and once you have close to your full range of motion back hop on your skis.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
andrew95
Posts: 2090 - Karma: 124
healing times are different for everyone, but i would recommend that you go to physio to get it back up to strength
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SSteezle
Posts: 9457 - Karma: 2,361

a sunny afternoon from goodie pocket films on Vimeo.

13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
3000
Posts: 941 - Karma: 249
i fractured my collar bone and i had to wait about a month and 3/4. idk how long it takes for a break to heal, but i would do what the doctor tells you. better to let it heal fully and be able to ski than ski before its fully healed and then not be able to ski for a really long time
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Baskilla
Posts: 409 - Karma: 202
Broke my collar bone into 4 pieces... got a plate and 8 screws and filmed this edit 5-7 weeks after... http://vimeo.com/32281372

I didn't fall on it until bout the 7th week tho and it hurt like a bitch but was all good.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Chubz.
Posts: 13918 - Karma: 25,672
Had a compound fracture 2 summers ago. Brone shattered and busted right through the skin. Had 3 screws put in and i was good in about 8 weeks. I started doing stuff again @ 6 weeks
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
vincentlee223
Posts: 1571 - Karma: 382
mine was 6 weeks
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
.Jacob
Posts: 1838 - Karma: 1,160
I fell off of a longboard and fucked my shit up. Almost an open fracture, and was abroad. Mine healed super fast and i was able to use it fully in about 2.5 weeks, which was insane, they tell you not to move it but i moved it as much as possible and it got easy pretty soon.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9936 - Karma: 9,457
Took me 5 weeks to ski again. Fuck slings
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
norwayguy
Posts: 29 - Karma: 10
Sorry to hear about that. You should definetly wait a month +. The problem is that it might feel fine after a couple of weeks, but the collarbone needs time to heal.. 1 month after i broke mine i did it again because it was not 100 % recovered. (had a clean break, bones were touching). So my advise is to wait 1-2 months and maby around christmas start shredding carefully. Sucks if you brake it again and loses the good jan & feb months.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Ski_ThEast
Posts: 1676 - Karma: 272
i was supposed to be about 6 weeks but because i went skiing after only 4 weeks and fell on it it ended up being a total of 9 weeks but 4 months seems a little much.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
will-g
Posts: 1031 - Karma: 69
I broke mine last february and havent had a chance to go skiing since then, I snapped mine in half and it got pushed dangerously close to my trachea, but a few weeks later i felt fine
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
gaper-raper
Posts: 598 - Karma: 2,602
mines fractured right now to man, it sucks wearing the sling telling everyone how it happend n shit, my doctor said to be in the sling for minimum 4 weeks. just go and check in with him in about a month or so for more x rays or somethin
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TBarnes
Posts: 974 - Karma: 712
Your doctor is more knowledgeable in this area than anyone on this site. Yes there are those who have had the same injury, but keep in mind that each injury is different and healing time is dependent on hundreds of different variables. Four weeks is like the absolute minimum amount of time it takes for a bone to heal, and is not very long at all. I would listen to the doc and chill for the four weeks. You'll miss out on some preseason shredding, but at least you'll be healthy and confident for the rest of the year.
13 years ago
1 0
profile picture
TBarnes
Posts: 974 - Karma: 712
^ disregard that i misread. 4 months is shitty, sorry bro
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
liukangkid
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 82
wait two months im a doctor ski easy brotha. Just dont hit rails and jumps, if your want...
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Needforbed
Posts: 10 - Karma: 9
thanks for all the advice, atm im aiming at end of january for my return which kinda sucks seeing as my mock-I.B exams are in febuary
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SteepAnDeep
Posts: 81 - Karma: 82
i broke mine and thought i was good 4 weeks later....... only to break it again. back to square one which wasn't fun......your mileage may vary. good luck, the season is still young :)
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Bateman
Posts: 8593 - Karma: 8,600
Click for larger image
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
saskskierftw
Posts: 898 - Karma: 62
I broke my right in half so that it was 2 clean peices. 5 weeks and a lot of milk later, I was riding snowmobiles as if nothing really happened. The key is to let it rest and then build your strength through physio and stretching. If you don't let it rest properly it won't ever heal right..
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
qualay
Posts: 238 - Karma: 167
hes a doctor for a reason. Listen to them. Not hating on the NS but i dont think any of them are MD's. Ask him what he thinks about slinging it and and filming on the MNT. I know people who have skied with broken collar bones, and its not the worst thing in the world to happen, but if u fall on it 2 months into healing it and it snaps again ur gona feel like a fool. just my $ .02 Take it with a grain of salt, im not hating on other's responses just thought i would throw this out there.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
qualay
Posts: 238 - Karma: 167
^ disregard. I re-read the posts. scratch that.
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
melbs
Posts: 415 - Karma: 77
I snapped mine completely in half and it took me like 6 weeks till I felt comfortable skiing on it again. But definitely not 4 months, that insane
13 years ago
0 0
profile picture
DURK18
Posts: 213 - Karma: 20
i broke my collar bone skiing last year and just shook it off, i didnt see a doctor after my fall i just pushed through it. a few weeks later playing hockey i got crushed and thought i broke it then and found out it was an old break.
13 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 1:18PM