Son has broken his collarbone - anyone got any experience of this?

[MabelStark]

My son broke his collarbone yesterday in his school PE lesson. He's 12. It's a straightforward break and so should heal in a few weeks.
He's ok when he's laying completely still - but when he moves he's in a great deal of pain. I'm keeping him dosed regularly on paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Has anyone any experience of this?
When might he start being able to move a little more freely?
Any tips on taking care of him?
It's the first time I've dealt with anything like this. He's currently in bed watching tv (after a night in hospital) unwashed, still wearing the rugby kit that the paramedic cut open to look at him.
Should I wake him in the night to give him pain relief?
He's eaten some lunch and I'm cooking him some dinner. He's usually a cheery thing but he's been really tearful all day. It's been a surreal 24 hours.

My son has broken the same collar bone three times. The last time was earlier this year.

I think you're doing everything right. My son slept propped up on pillows and rested during the day. In a few days when the pain has lessened a bit encourage your son to move his arm as much as he can regularly.

I feel for your son and you too.

I'd also let him sleep as he'll be exhausted. Just give the pain relief when he wakes up.

try to to give ibuprofen, it can slow healing of broken bones.
other than that, rest, ice elevation etc.
hope it heals well

Mine has done it too, fortunately not his dominant arm. His main difficulty was with dressing and undressing, I borrowed a few much bigger polo shirts for school. It healed uneventfully and fairly quickly, within a couple of months he was pushing himself up out of a swimming pool with his full weight in his arms. It does sound as though you are doing the right things.

My 6 year old broke his after a fall at school. It is allegedly a very painful break, so definitely regular pain relief for first few days (although I wouldn't wake him from sleep - maybe hard to go back to sleep. I'd do straight before bed and as soon as wakes though.) At 6 I guess my son may have healed a little faster than a 12 year old, but the pain did only really last 7-8 days.

We're you given exercises to do? The elbow needs to be exercised gently to stop stiffness. We stuck with button up tops as putting things over the head and getting the arm in would have been too difficult. Extra pillows made in to a sort of v-shape to sleep on (we used 4 pillows which also stopped him rolling from his back while sleeping).

Kids do heal beautifully though. Our son's x-ray looked awful with a huge gap in the bone but 10 months in there is only a small bump left and no ongoing issues.

Thank you for all your replies -
Can I ask how long @TheChippendenSpook your son needed away from school?

@Caroian we haven't been given any exercises but we will be going back to the hospital to see the consultant for fracture clinic next week. I'll ask about them then.
Thank you

my son did this when he was 6. he was in a lot of pain for a few days and then we actually went on holiday. The sunshine and gentle swimming helped a lot and it healed very well and very quickly

My ds did this as a toddler. Docs said he could go back to nursery after two days at home & he was fine. Healed astonishingly quickly, movement was coming back in days and after a fortnight the whole thing was basically over. 100% fine now.

I think you are doing all you can. You don’t say if he has a sling but that can help it moving around. Hope he feels better soon

Mine did it on Saturday, I think he went back to school on Monday but it was primary (y6) so I was able to carry his bag in for him and no need to cart stuff around as there is in secondary. The school refused to administer pain relief as it wasn't on prescription but he was allowed to keep Calpol fastmelts in the office and take them himself. Obviously no PE for a few weeks.

@RosyPP yes he has a sling. It's a fabric one that covers his whole arm rather than one of those spongey ones.

I broke mine age 14 it was horribly painful. I remember clearly wincing when anyone walked near me. I was given codydramol though. I would ask your gp if your ds can have cocodamol possibly, or failing that just keep him dosed up on the para and brufen, but make sure he's eating. I think I had the sling off in two weeks.

Mine did it when she was 3. It was incredibly painful for 4/5 days and then she seemed fine tbh, it was a nightmare trying to stop her doing things!! Just keep on top of the pain relief, and it will soon heal. At 12 he can have co-codamol which I'd give at night so he can sleep.

I'm a nurse in a boarding school which has lots of rugby, so I see lots of clavicle fractures! They do normally heal quickly, and most of our kids need pain relief regularly for 2/3 days and only occasionally after that.

They are back in to lessons the next day, but might come to the School Infirmary for a rest here and there if they haven't slept well or during games lessons.

@LizzieBennettDarcy the a&e doctor prescribed him codeine and he had one at the hospital. He went very pale and sickly a while after but that may have been from the morphine he'd had previously or just from the pain. I'm reluctant to give him the codeine after that reaction and I know that it can cause constipation.

I met my DH when he accidentally broke my collarbone!! (He was sitting on Uni bookshop floor, I didn't see him and fell over him.)
As I remember it was really painful for about a week, ached for about a month, but pain killers helped. No lasting damage apart from a small lump of bone over the bit where it was broken.

My son broke his twice. Once as a toddler, which healed quickly. He did it again at 15. It was a badly displaced fracture, which took weeks to heal. He needed codeine for pain and could not cope with school. He went back for one day and Matron sent him home at break time.
I would give codeine if he needs it. Dulcoease capsules stop the possible constipation.

He should not need to miss any school

Blimey if it was my son who had broken a bone, could barely move and had gone white and sickly with pain, I would let him have the day off school.

We're talking about a broken bone here, not a hang nail.

I wasnt talking about the day he did it. Op was asking how long to have off school. After the first day...he should be in full attendance.

I would definitely allow him time off school. Mending broken bones is exhausting.

How much experience have you had with broken collar bones or children with broken collar bones?

You can't secure them and sling them up like you can a wrist. It affects sleep in a massive way as well. It's a nightmare trying to wash and dress.
It isn't the same as a broken wrist.
He would be good to have the rest of the week off and go back on Monday, really.

Well you can sling it but it isn't secured like a broken wrist.

OP what advice was given with regards to him going back to school?

I broke mine when I was 10. It was very painful, from what I remember, and took a long while to heal. The initial pain calmed after a day or two. I remember my mother put pillows down the side of me to stop me rolling on it.

Wishing him a pain free, speedy recovery.

@RememberWhenRibenaTastedNice I asked the Consultant and he just said when you think he's ready, but to bear in mind that other children his age might not be mindful of his injury. When I rang the school to update they said they wouldn't expect him in this week.
I think he needs a couple of days rest after an overnight in hospital and I'll reassess at the weekend.
Thanks all.