What Are the Main Causes of Clavicle Pain?

Clavicle pain may refer to any pain in or perceived to be in the collarbone area. In the majority of cases, clavicle pain is rooted in clavicle fractures, which can have many causes. Other cases of clavicle pain may be, more specifically, caused by indirect pain from an injury to something other than the clavicle. The acromioclavicular joint near the clavicle may be torn or otherwise damaged, referring pain back to the clavicle, and this damage can be either physical in nature or caused by arthritis. In other cases, shoulder damage is sometimes expressed as clavicle pain, and in more serious cases, osteomyelitis may infect the clavicle or shoulder area.

Clavicle fracture is by far the most common cause of clavicle pain, usually from some sort of hard physical blow or extended stress upon the collarbone. Individuals may experience bruising, swelling, and additional shoulder pain. It is possible to feel many fractures underneath the skin after swelling has gone down. Clavicle fractures are usually easily diagnosed through x-ray, and most patients should be able to recover well with rest and proper treatment. In most cases, the pain will subside after a few weeks in addition to physician-prescribed painkillers, and a full recovery is usually expected within 12 weeks, rarely requiring surgery.

Referred clavicle pain may come from an injury to areas near the collarbone. Shoulder injuries as well as injuries to the muscle surrounding the collarbone all fall under this category, and these root problems will need to be treated first. Additionally, the joint between the collarbone and shoulder blade, the acromioclavicular joint, can become dislocated under forceful impact. It is also susceptible to becoming torn or damaged, and individuals with this type of injury will usually experience clavicle and shoulder pain, both when moving the arm as well as when not moving because of the weight of the rest of the arm. Apart from physical injury, the acromioclavicular joint is also susceptible to arthritis. In these cases, the arthritis must be treated in order for the clavicle pain to subside.

In more severe cases, clavicle pain may be the symptom of a more serious medical condition. Osteomyelitis refers to an infection of the bone marrow. In adults, it is most likely to occur as a result of some sort of injury that is severe enough to expose the bone to infection, and, especially for those involved in sports, this type of injury can occur in the collarbone. Osteomyelitis may also be the secondary result of another primary disease, such as syphilis, fungal infections, or tuberculosis.