Pain guide · Shoulder pain

Exercises after a broken collarbone: the sling, the recovery stages and getting back to sport

A broken collarbone usually follows a fall onto the shoulder, from a bike, in sport or at play, and most breaks are in the middle of the bone. Most heal in a sling without an operation: the NHS says most people recover in 6 to 8 weeks, and children in 3 to 4. A bump often forms as it heals; it's new bone, and it shrinks over the following months.

Your fracture team's plan comes first, and hospitals differ on how long the sling stays on and when each exercise starts. This page sets out the usual stages, from hand and elbow exercises in the sling to lifting overhead and getting back to sport, with a 3D demo of each move, and what trials found about surgery for breaks that have moved.

4-stage exercise plan When to get help 41 sourcesUpdated 21 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Go to A&E, or call 999 if you can't get there: after an injury, your shoulder has changed shape, has swollen very quickly or has bone sticking out of the skin; you're bleeding heavily; or you have difficulty breathing, chest pain or are coughing up blood.
Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the arm or wrist has changed colour or shape, or is at an odd angle.
Call 999: after a fall, you may have hurt your head, neck, back or hip, or you cannot get up.
Same day (NHS 111): after an injury, your shoulder is very painful, very swollen or bruised, or you can't use your arm normally. A broken collarbone needs an X-ray and treatment in hospital.
Same day (an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): pins and needles that don't go away, no feeling in the arm or shoulder, an arm or shoulder that is hot or cold to the touch, or you feel feverish or unwell.
After an operation or a cut: the wound is swollen, red and getting more painful or has pus coming out of it, or you also feel generally unwell or have a high temperature. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111.
Arm pain or swelling with breathlessness or chest pain: call 999 or go to A&E, and do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Throbbing pain and swelling in the arm, with red, blue or darker skin and swollen veins: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. It could be a blood clot.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain that hasn't eased between about 2 and 4 weeks after the injury: tell your fracture clinic. In one small study, pain that eased little over those weeks went with a higher chance of the bone not joining.
Still significant pain and stiffness at about 12 weeks: contact your fracture team, as one NHS leaflet advises.
Struggling to get your movement back after a few weeks: ask for physiotherapy, or refer yourself where your area allows.
A child who isn't moving the arm well 4 weeks after the injury, still has pain at the break after 6 weeks, or has tingling or an odd feeling in the arm or hand that doesn't go away: contact the fracture clinic or emergency department that saw them.
You're 50 or over and broke it in a fall from standing height or less: ask your GP about a bone health check (a fracture risk assessment) and a falls assessment.

Understand it

What a broken collarbone is, and who breaks one

The collarbone (clavicle) runs from the top of the breastbone to the top of the shoulder blade, and it's the bone that joins the arm to the body. It lies over important nerves and blood vessels, which are rarely injured when it breaks. Most breaks are in the middle third of the bone (76 to 80% in two Cochrane reviews), about 20 to 25% are at the outer end, near the shoulder, and breaks at the inner end are uncommon. A break can be a crack, line up well, be displaced (the broken ends no longer touching) or be in several pieces.

Collarbone breaks are 2.6 to 4% of all fractures. Most come from a fall onto the shoulder or a direct blow to it, in sport or a road accident, and some from a fall onto an outstretched arm. In 1,000 adults with one, men under 20 were most often affected, mostly in the middle of the bone, while breaks at the far outer end came from simple falls at home and were commoner in older people. In 545 teenagers in a US study, 79% were boys and two-thirds were hurt in sport.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

How it's recognised

Pain, swelling or bruising over the collarbone, a shoulder that sags down and forward, pain lifting the arm, a grinding feeling, and a bump or step over the break. It needs an X-ray, and a doctor will check the nerves and blood vessels in the arm. Rarely, a broken collarbone leads to chest pain, difficulty breathing or coughing up blood, which need A&E.

Sources 9, 1

What your team may suggest

Usually a sling and painkillers. An operation, most often a plate and screws, is considered for breaks that are badly displaced or in several pieces, or that are slow to heal. Some hospitals look after simple breaks through a virtual fracture clinic, with advice by phone and leaflet: in one, 45% of 138 people were discharged without another appointment, mostly with breaks that hadn't moved, and 91% were satisfied with their recovery.

Sources 9, 1, 10, 11

How it heals, and what the X-ray means

The NHS says most people recover in 6 to 8 weeks. The bone itself takes about 6 to 12 weeks to heal, and most people are back to their usual activities within 3 months. A bump of new bone (callus) forms over the break and gets smaller over about a year, though a small one may stay; it isn't a sign that anything has gone wrong.

Sometimes the bone doesn't join (a non-union). Without surgery, about 6% of all collarbone breaks hadn't joined at 24 weeks in a study of 868 people. A slow-looking X-ray is common: in the UK Clavicle Trial (301 people), 27 to 28% of breaks hadn't visibly joined at 3 months whether or not they'd had surgery, and by 9 months that was 11% without surgery. In 200 people with fully displaced breaks, a lot of trouble using the arm at 6 weeks, no new bone on the X-ray and a break that still moved each predicted non-union; with none of them, the risk was 3%.

A collarbone can also heal a little short or out of line. In the Cochrane review, this caused symptoms in 11.3% of people after a sling and 1.2% after surgery.

Sources 9, 12, 2, 1, 10, 6, 13, 14, 3

Breaks at the outer end

Breaks near the shoulder end fail to join more often: about 11% at 24 weeks in the 868-person study, and 35 to 40% with a sling when the break is displaced and the ligaments that hold the collarbone down are torn. Even so, many people have little loss of function. In a trial of 57 people, function at a year was the same with or without a plate, though the bone joined in 95% against 64%; 44% of those who had a plate needed it removed, and 20% of those treated in a sling later had an operation. The UK DIDACT trial is now comparing a sling with surgery for these breaks.

Sources 6, 5, 15

Children and teenagers

The collarbone is one of the bones children break most often, and it heals well with a sling and time; the NHS says children often recover in 3 to 4 weeks. A bump may take up to a year to go, and over about the age of 10 some thickness may stay. Teenagers' displaced breaks almost always heal without surgery: in a long-term study, 1 of 245 didn't join, and function years later was excellent.

A baby's collarbone can break during birth. This guide doesn't cover that, so ask your midwife, health visitor or GP.

Sources 9, 16, 17, 18, 1

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

A sling or a figure-of-eight bandage: much the same results, and a sling is simplerEmerging evidence

A Cochrane review of 4 trials (416 people aged 14 and over) found very low-quality evidence of similar function, pain and healing time with a sling or a figure-of-eight bandage, and one trial reported more pain and discomfort with the bandage. In 60 adults, the bandage was more painful on the first day (6.8 against 5.6 out of 10) and harder to put on; in 79 people, the sling caused less discomfort, with the same function and appearance.

A 2026 meta-analysis (688 adults, from 4 trials and 2 other studies) found slightly better scores and alignment with the bandage, too small to matter (1.7 points on a 100-point shoulder score, 0.8 mm of shortening), and fewer complications overall with it, but concluded the evidence doesn't justify using it routinely. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) guideline prefers a sling, by expert consensus, as simple and low-risk. The studies are small and of low quality.

Sources 4, 19, 20, 21, 22

Surgery for a displaced break: fewer non-unions, much the same function in the long runStrong evidence

For breaks in the middle of the collarbone that have moved, several trials have compared a plate and screws with a sling. Across 6 trials (614 people), a plate made a non-union about 7 times less likely, but the gain in shoulder function at a year was too small to matter, and repeat operations were about as common as after a sling once plate removals were counted (17.6% against 16.6%). The Cochrane review (14 trials, 1,469 people, mostly at high risk of bias) found low-quality evidence of no important difference in function, pain or quality of life at a year or more, fewer treatment failures after surgery, plate removal for discomfort in 10.2%, and infection only after surgery (3.2%).

The trials differ in emphasis. A Canadian trial of 132 adults found better shoulder scores at every point to a year after plating. A UK trial of 200 adults found 1 non-union after plating against 16 after a sling, but no difference in scores at any time once people whose bone hadn't joined were left out. A Dutch trial of 160 found no difference in shoulder scores at any time; 27.4% had another operation after plating, including planned plate removal, against 17.1% after a sling, and 19% had numb skin around the scar. The UK Clavicle Trial (301 adults) found better function and satisfaction at 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery.

The AAOS guideline says surgery brings higher union rates and better early function, but that either treatment is reasonable because long-term function and satisfaction are similar. In short, surgery trades a lower risk of non-union and an easier first 3 months for an operation, a scar with numb skin, and roughly a 1 in 10 to 1 in 6 chance of a second operation to remove the plate.

Sources 23, 3, 24, 25, 26, 13, 22

What makes a non-union more likelyEmerging evidence

In 941 adults with displaced breaks of the middle of the collarbone treated without surgery, 13% didn't join. Smoking nearly quadrupled the odds, and a shattered break and a bigger gap between the ends raised the risk too. The AAOS guideline agrees, on limited evidence, that smoking, displacement and a shattered break go with non-union.

Not every non-union needs treatment: a third of those in the trials had none, and some people have little pain and good use of the arm. Painful ones can be fixed with an operation.

Sources 27, 6, 22, 23, 1

Teenagers usually do as well without surgeryEmerging evidence

In a US study that followed 416 teenagers with fully displaced breaks (282 for 2 years; it wasn't a randomised trial), surgery gave no better function and more complications (20.8% against 5.2%), and non-union was rare (0.4%). In a long-term study of teenagers treated without surgery, 1 of 245 displaced breaks didn't join, and how far the break had moved didn't predict a worse result. A 2025 review of 7 comparative studies and the AAOS guideline agree that surgery may offer no benefit at this age.

Sources 28, 18, 29, 22

Most people get back to sportEmerging evidence

Across 33 studies (1,087 people), 91% of athletes went back to their sport, on average 3.1 months after surgery and 3.9 months without, and more of those who had surgery returned to their previous level (92% against 78%). Most of these studies were observational, so the people who chose surgery may have differed from those who didn't, and breaks at the outer end had the lowest return rate (78%).

Source 30

The exercise stages come from NHS leaflets, not trialsEmerging evidence

No trial has tested an exercise programme after a broken collarbone, or when to start moving: the Cochrane review of non-surgical treatments found trials only of slings, bandages and ultrasound. The stages on this page follow NHS leaflets, which agree on the order and give similar timings: hand, wrist, elbow and neck from the first day, assisted shoulder movement from about 2 to 3 weeks, lifting overhead from about 6 weeks, and heavy lifting once the bone has healed. Treat the timings as typical ranges, not tested rules.

Sources 4, 10, 12, 2, 31

Ultrasound bone stimulators don't helpStrong evidence

In a placebo-controlled trial of 120 people, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound didn't speed healing, ease pain or prevent operations for a bone that hadn't joined, and the AAOS guideline advises against it.

Sources 4, 22

After a fall at 50 or over: bones and fallsStrong evidence

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks for a fracture risk assessment for everyone aged 50 or over who has had a fragility fracture (a break from a fall from standing height or less), and a comprehensive falls assessment for anyone who fell in the past year and needed medical treatment for an injury. Breaks at the outer end of the collarbone after a simple fall are commoner in older people.

Sources 32, 33, 7

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Uncomfortable is fine, forcing isn't; about 5 out of 10 once you're strengtheningEmerging evidence

In the sling and while the shoulder is moving with help, NHS leaflets say: move as far as feels comfortable, a mild to moderate stretch is fine, but don't push into pain, and ease off if you feel a sharp, shooting pain. The DIDACT trial's leaflet says the exercises shouldn't be painful, though they may be uncomfortable, and that an ache around the shoulder is normal as you start using the arm more.

From the strengthening stage, use the shoulder rule: pain up to about 5 out of 10 during the exercises, back to where it started by your next session; if it isn't, use a lighter band or a smaller range next time, not nothing. This is borrowed from a rotator cuff trial (Holmgren), where pain wasn't allowed above 5 out of 10 and had to settle before the next session; using it after a fracture is our suggestion.

Pain that isn't easing from week to week is a reason to tell your fracture clinic, not to push harder: in one small study, pain that eased little between weeks 2 and 4 went with a higher chance of the bone not joining.

Sources 12, 2, 31, 34, 35

The exercise plan: 4 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

In the sling: keep the hand, elbow and neck moving

As your team allows, from the first day. Wear the sling in the daytime as your team says, often for 2 to 3 weeks; at night it's usually up to you, and a pillow between your arm and your body helps. Take the arm out several times a day for these exercises, keeping your elbow below shoulder height for the first 2 weeks. Use a cold pack for up to 20 minutes every 2 hours in the first 1 to 2 days, sleep propped up, and put the injured arm into clothes first. Also open and close your hand 10 to 15 times, and do small neck movements, 5 of each: chin down and up, ear towards each shoulder, and turning each way.

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

10 to 15 of each movement, 4 to 5 times a day · Forearm resting: palm up and down, wrist up and down. An NHS leaflet's dose

Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Elbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoElbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion)Beginner · No equipment

10 to 15, 4 to 5 times a day · Out of the sling, to a mild to moderate stretch; the other hand can help. An NHS leaflet's dose

Harder: Dumbbell biceps curl

Ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

Hold 5 s, 10 times · From a few days in: a soft ball or rolled-up socks, as hard as is comfortable. An NHS leaflet's dose

Harder: Band finger extension

Seated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)Beginner · A bench or box

Hold 5 s, 10 times, 3 times a day · Shoulder blades gently back and down, sling on or off. An NHS leaflet's dose

Easier: Elbows back · Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

3D demoChin tuckBeginner · No equipment

Hold 10 s, 5 times · Sit tall and draw the chin gently back. An NHS leaflet's dose

Easier: Lying chin tuck · Harder: Isometric neck holds (four-way)

Pendulum exercise (Codman's pendulum) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoPendulum exercise (Codman's pendulum)Beginner · A bench or box

Small, relaxed swings for 1 to 2 minutes in all · Lean on a table with your good hand. Two NHS leaflets start these early; check with your team

Harder: Table slide (seated forward reach)

Move on when: Your team says you can come out of the sling, often at 2 to 3 weeks and for most people by 4, and the pain is easing week by week.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Out of the sling: assisted shoulder movement

As your team allows, often from about 2 to 3 weeks: one NHS leaflet starts these at 2 weeks, another at 3. Use the arm for light tasks, but no heavy lifting, pushing, pulling or leaning on it yet; heavy lifting waits at least 6 weeks. Lift only as high as is comfortable, and one leaflet keeps the arm below shoulder height for now. NHS leaflets also use your good arm to help: cradle the injured arm near the elbow and lift it slowly in front of you, then out to the side, about 10 times each. Drive only once you're confident you can control the car and do an emergency stop, and check with your insurer.

Table slide (seated forward reach) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTable slide (seated forward reach)Beginner · A bench or box

10 slow slides, 3 to 5 times a day · Stands in here for the assisted arm raise in NHS leaflets (lying down, or with your good arm lifting), which has no 3D demo yet; two leaflets use table slides too. Don't lean your weight on the table

Easier: Pendulum exercise (Codman's pendulum) · Harder: Overhead lat stretch at a bench

Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStick-assisted external rotation (lying)Beginner · Other / check instructions

10, holding each for 5 s, 4 to 5 times a day · Elbow tucked into your side. The demo lies down; NHS leaflets do it sitting or standing. An NHS leaflet's dose

Harder: Standing band external rotation

3D demoPendulum exercise (Codman's pendulum)Beginner · A bench or box

1 to 2 minutes in all · An NHS leaflet's dose

Harder: Table slide (seated forward reach)

3D demoElbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion)Beginner · No equipment

10 to 15, 4 to 5 times a day · Now without help, if you can

Harder: Dumbbell biceps curl

3D demoSeated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)Beginner · A bench or box

Hold 5 s, 10 times, 3 times a day

Easier: Elbows back · Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Move on when: Your team is happy the bone is healing, often at about 6 weeks, and you can lift the arm to shoulder height with help and only mild discomfort.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Active movement and light strength

As your team allows, once the bone is largely joined, often from about 6 weeks. Lift the arm forwards and out to the side and turn it outwards on your own, 10 times each, 4 to 5 times a day, going only as far as you can without trick movements (an NHS leaflet's dose); this is when that leaflet starts lifting the arm overhead. Add light strength work 2 to 3 times a week. Heavy lifting and weight through the arm wait for your team's go-ahead, often 6 to 12 weeks. The strength doses are editorial.

Breath reach demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBreath reachBeginner · No equipment

5 slow breaths, arms only as high as is comfortable, several times a day · The overhead reach an NHS leaflet adds at this stage

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 sets of 10 to 15 with a light band · Elbow at your side

Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Band internal rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand internal rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 sets of 10 to 15 with a light band

Harder: Side-lying external rotation

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 sets of 10 to 15 with a light band

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

2 sets of 10 up to shoulder height: no weight at first, then 0.5 to 1 kg

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Wall angel demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall angelBeginner · A wall

5 to 10 slow slides, only as high as is comfortable

Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises

Move on when: You have full movement without the other arm helping, daily tasks are comfortable, and your team has said the bone has healed.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 4

Strength, weight through the arm and back to sport

As your team allows, usually from about 12 weeks. Strength work 2 to 3 times a week, adding a little load at a time. Weight through the arm builds from a wall to a table, then the knees and the floor. Contact sport waits at least 10 to 12 weeks without surgery in one NHS leaflet, and about 6 months after surgery in another; on average, athletes went back at about 3 to 4 months. Still in significant pain or stiff at 12 weeks: contact your team. The doses are editorial.

Wall push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall

2 to 3 sets of 10

Harder: Push-up

Incline push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoIncline push-upBeginner · A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12

Harder: Push-up

Knee push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKnee push-upBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 · Once inclines are easy

Harder: Push-up

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 8 to 10 of each letter

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Barbell rear-delt row

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m

Harder: Suitcase carry

Move on when: Strength and movement match the other side and the shoulder copes with your sport's demands. The push-up progression and the shoulder mobility and stability routine take it from here.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Typical timings, which your team may change

These are the typical ranges NHS leaflets agree on, not results of trials. Your own team's timings come first.

Sling: for comfort, usually 2 to 3 weeks. Two leaflets use it in the daytime for 2 weeks and another for 2 to 6 weeks, guided by pain; most people treated without surgery are out of it by 4 weeks, and most after a plate by 2.
Hand, wrist, elbow and neck exercises: from the first day, keeping the elbow below shoulder height for the first 2 weeks.
Assisted shoulder movement: from about 2 to 3 weeks.
Lifting the arm overhead, and normal light activity: from about 6 weeks, when the bone is usually largely joined.
Heavy lifting and weight through the arm: not during the 6 to 12 weeks the bone takes to heal, and then when your team says.
Contact sport: at least 10 to 12 weeks without surgery in one leaflet, and from about 6 months after surgery in another.
Still significant pain and stiffness at about 12 weeks: contact your fracture team.

Sources 9, 10, 12, 2, 31, 36

Sleeping, washing and dressing

Many people sleep propped up on pillows at first, with a pillow between the arm and the body; whether you wear the sling at night is usually up to you. Put the injured arm into a sleeve first and take it out last. To wash under the arm, lean forward and let it hang a little away from your body.

Sources 10, 2, 36

After an operation

The order is the same and usually faster: most people are out of the sling by about 2 weeks after a plate. One NHS leaflet after surgery says no bath or shower for the first 2 weeks, arms only up to shoulder height in the early assisted exercises, driving from 4 weeks at the earliest, breaststroke at 6 to 8 weeks, front crawl and golf at 3 months, heavy lifting after at least 3 months, and contact sport from about 6 months. Your surgeon's plan comes first.

A patch of numb skin below the scar is common (19% in one trial) and becomes less noticeable with time. The plate sits just under the skin, so a seatbelt or rucksack strap can rub on it; if it keeps bothering you once the bone has healed, the plate can be removed.

Sources 31, 36, 1, 26

Children

Many children are discharged without a follow-up appointment and need no formal exercise plan. A sling for comfort for about 2 to 4 weeks, taken off to wash and dress and not needed at night; children aged 3 and under may not want one at all, and that's fine. From about 2 weeks, encourage writing, drawing and games with the arm if it's comfortable.

Swimming is fine once they're comfortable, but keep them off trampolines, bikes, scooters, football, physical education (PE) and other high-impact play for about 6 weeks (4 weeks if they're 3 or under). A small risk of injuring it again lasts up to about 12 weeks.

Sources 17, 16

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Keeping the arm still in the sling all day for weeks	The elbow, hand and shoulder stiffen; NHS leaflets say take the arm out several times a day for the exercises.	Out of the sling for the stage 1 exercises, little and often.Try: Elbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion)
Lifting the elbow above shoulder height in the first 2 weeks	Two NHS leaflets say not to, as it may be painful.	Small pendulum swings, then table slides once your team allows.Try: Pendulum exercise (Codman's pendulum)
Lifting, pushing, pulling or leaning on the arm before about 6 weeks	NHS leaflets put off heavy lifting for at least 6 weeks, and weight through the arm until the bone has healed.	Light daily tasks, with walking and leg exercise meanwhile.
Push-ups, planks or dips before the bone has healed	They put your body weight through the arm and the healing collarbone.	Wall push-ups once your team allows, then inclines.Try: Wall push-up
The cross-body shoulder stretch in the first weeks	It pulls the arm across the body, pressing on the healing bone (our caution; it hasn't been studied).	Table slides for now, and stretches once your team says the bone has healed.Try: Table slide (seated forward reach)
The doorway chest stretch in the first weeks	It pulls the shoulder back over the healing bone (our caution; it hasn't been studied).	Sit tall with the shoulder blades gently back and down instead.Try: Seated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)
Buying a figure-of-eight brace to pull the bone straight	In trials it gave no better function than a sling, and two found it more uncomfortable at first.	A simple sling, which the US orthopaedic guideline prefers.
Driving before you can do an emergency stop	An NHS leaflet says drive only once you're confident you can do an emergency stop.	Lifts or public transport until then, and check with your insurer.
Smoking	In displaced breaks it nearly quadrupled the odds of the bone not joining.	Stop or cut down; NHS stop-smoking services can help.
Contact sport, mountain biking or rough play before you're cleared	One NHS leaflet advises at least 10 to 12 weeks without surgery, and children's leaflets about 6 weeks.	Walking and leg training meanwhile.

Routines to follow

Easy cardio workout

A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.

40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wall

Upper back mobility routine

A 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.

12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wall

Shoulder mobility and stability routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

Push-up progression workout

Work up to full push-ups: wall, incline and knee push-ups, then the floor push-up and harder variations.

15 minBeginner8 movesA wall, A bench or box

Balance exercises routine

Balance practice in 10 minutes: tandem stance, single-leg stands, marches, heel walks, tree pose and floor transfers.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A bench or box

Strength and balance workout

Strength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.

45 minBeginner14 movesA wall, A dumbbell

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

How long does a broken collarbone take to heal?

The NHS says most people recover in 6 to 8 weeks, and children often in 3 to 4. The bone itself takes about 6 to 12 weeks to join, and most people are back to their usual activities within 3 months.

How long do I need to wear a sling?

Usually 2 to 3 weeks, and up to about 6 in some hospitals. It's there for comfort, and most people treated without surgery are out of it by 4 weeks. Take it off several times a day for your exercises; wearing it at night is usually up to you.

What exercises can I do with a broken collarbone?

From the first day: fingers, wrist, elbow, neck and gentle shoulder-blade squeezes, with your elbow below shoulder height for the first 2 weeks. Assisted shoulder movement usually follows at about 2 to 3 weeks, and lifting your arm overhead from about 6 weeks, as your team allows.

Do I need surgery for a broken collarbone?

Usually not. For badly displaced breaks, surgery lowers the chance the bone won't join and makes the first 3 months easier, but long-term function is about the same, and about 1 in 10 to 1 in 6 people later have the plate removed. Your surgeon will weigh up the break, whether you smoke, and your job or sport.

Is a figure-of-eight brace better than a sling?

No. Trials of the figure-of-eight bandage found much the same function as a sling, and some found it more uncomfortable at first. The US orthopaedic surgeons' guideline prefers a sling.

How should I sleep with a broken collarbone?

Propped up on pillows usually feels best, with a pillow between your arm and your body. Whether you wear the sling at night is usually up to you, and lying on the injured side tends to hurt at first.

When can I drive with a broken collarbone?

Only once you're confident you can control the car safely and do an emergency stop, and you've checked with your insurer. After surgery, one NHS leaflet says 4 weeks at the earliest.

When can I go back to the gym or play sport?

Light activity from about 6 weeks, heavy lifting and weight through the arm when your team says the bone has healed (often 6 to 12 weeks), and contact sport after at least 10 to 12 weeks without surgery. On average, athletes went back at 3 to 4 months; after surgery, one NHS leaflet allows contact sport from about 6 months.

Why is there a lump on my collarbone?

It's new bone forming around the break, and it's part of normal healing. It gets smaller over about a year, though a small bump may stay.

What if my collarbone doesn't heal?

Sometimes the bone doesn't join, more often with smoking, a big gap or a break in several pieces. Pain that isn't easing over the first weeks is worth mentioning to your fracture clinic. Some non-unions cause little trouble, and painful ones can be fixed with an operation.

My child has broken their collarbone. What should we do?

A sling for comfort for about 2 to 4 weeks (it's fine if a toddler won't keep it on), painkillers, and no PE, trampolines, bikes or contact sport for about 6 weeks; many children don't need a follow-up appointment. Contact the hospital if they aren't moving the arm well by 4 weeks or still have pain at the break after 6. Teenagers rarely need surgery.

I'm over 50 and broke my collarbone in a fall. Should I have my bones checked?

Yes. NICE asks for a fracture risk assessment for anyone 50 or over who breaks a bone in a fall from standing height or less, and a falls assessment for anyone who needed treatment for an injury from a fall. Ask your GP.

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.