Any experience with a broken collarbone?

[Anonymous 1]

My son broke his collarbone in September. It was a pretty bad break but shriners says they only do surgery on teens (he was 16) if something is sticking out of the skin. He was cleared by Thanksgiving to resume full activity.
That shoulder still bothers him. At what point would you take him back and what is normal for recovery? He says he babies it because it often aches if he does too much. He hasn't been mountain biking much because it's hard on his shoulder but he has still been crossfitting (and won 2nd in his first competition little brag there).
Since it's holding him back from activities I'm thinking I might need to call shriners. Am I overreacting?

[highlandmum]

I asked my friend as her son broke his collarbone, and he told me that his shoulder took about a year till it felt 100%. He had some discomfort in it for a while after he was cleared for normal activity. He was skating after a month, non-contact practice after two months, and full contact practice and games after three months. But keep in mind his hockey team has a team therapist that kept a eye on it for the full season and they still check it if it is bothering him. So it would not hurt to have his doctor do an assessment on him. My sons knee still gets check out by the team therapist as well and that is going on two years.
You do not want to mess with these injuries so you might be better to ask as his initial injury and his recovery are unique to him.

[Olioxenfree]

My sons took about a year to be 100%, otherwise it would ache if he did too much with it. But it wouldn’t hurt to just ask his doctor.

[Anonymous 1]

Thank you both I'll call shriners today!

[LuckyEightWow]

My son broke his 4 times in 3 years. Surgery is last resort and healing takes some time. I wouldn’t go surgery either. There are other options, we had decent success with a bone stimulator. My son still has pain from it years later but nothing a normal person can’t live with.

[Anonymous 1]

My son broke his 4 times in 3 years. Surgery is last resort and healing takes some time. I wouldn’t go surgery either. There are other options, we had decent success with a bone stimulator. My son still has pain from it years later but nothing a normal person can’t live with.

Surgery definitely isn't on our radar.