Originally Posted by jake808 .
hey wassup everyone i just broke my clavacle on jan 20 i already seek x ray the doctor said it is broken he said i have to stay in the sling for 6 weeks and ice it down.i just have a couple of questions about my clavacle cause i am concern about myself cause i am planning too join the us marine corps.how do i know if the calvacle need surgery?
how can i treat the broken clavcle?does ice pack help,and do i have to leave the finger 8 sling on to ice down the calvacle?
You should talk to your docs about this. There are no black and white answers about whether your clavicle needs surgical repair or not. Again, I'd suggest you ask that question of your doc. Likewise, you have the option of getting a second opinion. FWIW, most people that fracture their clavicles heal fine without surgery.
How to treat your clavicle? It's pretty easy. In the first couple of days after the fracture, ice helps to reduce swelling and pain. In fact after a bone is broken, a lot of the pain experienced is from swelling. After more than a couple of days, ice can reduce pain by "numbing" the area. Ice tends to less effective the further in time you move from the fracture. Keeping an injury site elevated also reduces swelling and thus pain, and this very convenient with a broken clavicle because just sitting up accomplishes that. Some people can lay flat in bed w/ an fx clavice. I couldn't for about 4 weeks, so I slept in a reclining chair (which also kept my clavicle elevated above my heart). Sleeping propped with pillows in bed can also work. Note that it can be a righteously painful experience to roll onto the affected side in the middle of the night.
Ice can be applied directly over the figure-8 splint.
If the doc gave you pain medicine, take it as directed. If he didn't and you're able to use ibuprofen and tylenol, you can try those. Note that taking too much ibuprofen can slow fracture healing.
You really should speak with your doc about your concerns and questions. The more your doctor knows about how you feel, what outcome your looking for, and what your worries might be, the more effectively he can treat you.
How many fractures are there in your clavicle?
