Cramping in collar bone

Triathlon Forum
1

hi, when i run lately i’ve been getting a cramp in my collar bone. this seems to be very strange! but is something that used to happen to me even during high school cross country days.

sometimes the cramp will stick around, or show up the next morning after a good run. (good meaning, moving at a decent clip, etc)

what’s the deal with this cramp in collar bone?

had anyone else had this before? it is weird place to cramp!

(my high school buddy called it an oxygen debt cramp…but honestly, i’ve never heard of such a thing.)

2

We learned the 2nd day of medical school that bones don’t cramp or itch. Where exactly is the pain?

3

Unless you’ve got a bone tumour the actual bone shouldn’t hurt. The clavicle (collar bone) is involved in two joints, one at either end and has some muscle attachments to it? These would be the likely cause of pain.

Where exactly is the pain.

4

I used to experience sharp pain around the collar bone. It was a breathing issue in my case. Try and breathe deep in the diaphragm, instead of expanding the chest.

5

it’s either close to my neck or closer to my shoulder; pinpoint spot.

6

Does pressing on the bone make it worse, or do you think it could be coming from the adjacent soft tissues? Do you think it may come from a muscle attachment, i.e. is the pain localized to either the top or bottom (towards the feet) surface of the bone? Any change with deep inspiration?

7

i don’t know. i touch it and rub it, and that does kind of help it.

right now i feel it, and it’s at the base of my neck on top of the bone (soft tissue the meets at the bone i guess). if i breathe deeply that helps.

have you ever heard of anything like this?

seems so weird! (never heard of anyone mentioning something like this before; other than my high school friend who said it was “oxygen debt” cramp. ?)

8

Based on your description it’s possibly either your sternoclavicular joint where the clavicle meets the sternum or the acromioclavicular joint at the far end, or both?

If you were in the office we could figure it out in a few minutes, but it’s impossible over the internet without a hands on examination.

Have somebody look at it.

9

I have something similar to that happen once in while. It’s a cramp up in the collarbone area, kind of painful and annoying. For me, I sometimes let my arm hang to the side for a couple minutes and that helps a little. Usually goes away if I keep running (on long runs). Very similar to the cramps you sometimes get on the side of the abdomen, but up near the collarbone/neck… kind of weird. If you figure it out, let me know : )

10

I get something I think is similar… some runs it just feels like my collar bone is sore. Somewhat in the middle of the bone, and it just feels a lot like a side stitch but in a different spot. Dunno what it is though, and I haven’t been able to figure out a pattern of when I feel it and when I don’t.

11

I get something I think is similar… some runs it just feels like my collar bone is sore. Somewhat in the middle of the bone, and it just feels a lot like a side stitch but in a different spot. Dunno what it is though, and I haven’t been able to figure out a pattern of when I feel it and when I don’t.

EXACTLY! it’s the strangest thing, isn’t it!

my guess is that it’s tied with exertion and hydration (electrolyte) but am not sure. also, i’ll feel it after the run sometimes–there really is no pattern that i can find.