About this topic
The shoulder blade is a triangle-shaped bone that is the back part of your shoulder joint. Muscles protect this bone and it rarely breaks. Broken shoulder blades make up less than 1% of all broken bones. The shoulder blade is broken by an injury or accident. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take all drugs as ordered by your doctor.
- Rest and avoid activities that make your problem worse.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Wear your sling as ordered. You may need to wear it for up to 3 to 4 weeks.
- You may need someone to help you for a few days or longer while you recover. Some people need help with taking a bath, getting dressed, or eating.
- Do exercises that your doctor or therapist tells you to do. Exercises will help increase motion and strength as well as lessen stiffness.
- Get up often and move around.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may send you to physical therapy to help you heal faster.
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. Talk to your doctor if you run, work out, or play sports. You may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. Full recovery from a shoulder blade fracture may take 6 months to a year. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Always wear your seat belt.
- Stay away from activities that could cause a fall from a high distance.
- Follow safety rules so you do not fall.
- Use protective gear when playing sports.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, or wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- More stiffness or pain
- Loss of motion in the shoulder
- Numbness or tingling down the arm
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my fracture.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have less motion in my shoulder.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00359 ‚
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine ‚
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/sports-injury-prevention.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚