Sports injuries are a lot to handle on your own. Not only do they keep you out of the game, they even restrict your day-to-day activities quite some.
Don’t unnecessarily prolong an already long recovery process. Premier Care is a sports therapy clinic in Richmond Hill, with the expertise and skills to safely relieve your pain symptoms and restore your full range of motion. We provide licensed physiotherapy services at our clinic on Younge Street. Reach out to us to book a free 15-minute consultation.
If you’ve recently undergone clavicle surgery, you need to exercise the area to make sure it doesn’t fall into disuse. Based on the specifications of your injury, we can produce a custom treatment plan to get you back in the game. At the end of the day, you need a plan that doesn’t overwork your already sore tissue and cause more harm than good.
Overview of a Clavicle Injury
How long does it take for a collarbone to heal? After the incident, you may be given a figure-of-eight splint or sling to wear so as to keep the area immobile. In such cases, the area may take about 4 to 8 weeks to heal. Alternatively, if you undergo surgery, the healing process could be accelerated. Professional physiotherapy helps a great deal to keep the area in use and fast track the recovery process.
What should I NOT do after clavicle surgery? Typically, you don’t want to raise your arms over 70 degrees in any direction for at least the first 4 four weeks. It’s ill-advised to lift heavy weights for the first 6 weeks – anything over 5 pounds is a no-no. Moreover, make sure to not shrug or slouch when wearing the sling as you want to maintain the correct bone and muscle alignment.
Athletes should speak to their physicians to confirm when they are cleared to play. Don’t phone this in. Also, it’s always best to run even the most seemingly inoffensive symptoms, like an inexplicable ache in another part of the body, by your physician.
What to Expect During Your Physiotherapy Sessions
Physical therapy usually starts about 3 to 4 weeks following the injury. Here’s the series of steps that will ensue;
Study of Your Medical History
The physiotherapist asks questions so as to piece together your medical profile. It’s best to be as honest as possible. You might not see the immediate relevancy of the questions but trust that your doctor requires the information to help devise the right treatment plan. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in return. Remember, your physiotherapy sessions are a two-way street. Communication is vital.
Once again, don’t withhold any relevant information. Your doctor is here to help you make the safest and quickest recovery possible.
Undergo a Series of Strength Tests
They will likely ask you to undergo a series of strength tests to see how your body is coping thus far. We recommend wearing loose clothing so that you can perform these without restriction.
These tests may include raising your arms, bending over or rolling your shoulders, among other things.
Devise a Treatment Plan
Based on the observations made from the above steps, your doctor then proceeds to create an individualized treatment plan that takes into consideration the joint mobility restrictions specific to your case.
Your treatment plan may include such things as tricep exercises, rotator cuff exercises, grip strength tests and isometric shoulder exercises.
Don’t perform any exercises unsupervised, unless your doctor approves it, as you may end up aggravating your clavicle.
The Benefits of Physiotherapy
- Therapeutic exercises safely reduce and eliminate pain associated with sore muscles and injured joints.
- In some cases, physiotherapy may be recommended by your doctor as a way to skip surgery altogether; this varies based on the severity of the injury.
- Physiotherapy greatly improves mobility over a reasonable period of time; by providing personalized treatment plans, your physiotherapist tries to ensure maximum safety during recovery.
- Not only will you be able to safely return to the sport, but your physiotherapist also recommends certain movements to avoid so as to prevent a future reinjury.
Don’t Stay Benched!
Get a Personal Treatment Plan to Shorten Recovery Time
Premier Care Physiotherapy in Richmond Hill helps fully rehabilitate your sports injury and the chronic pain that you’re putting up with. As you progress from one session to the next, our licensed doctors will track your progress and reassess treatment goals so as to give you the best therapeutic outcome.