Depending on your level of health anxiety, you might think that your popping clavicle is due to cancer or a neurological disease.
And in fact, if your clavicle pops in and out, you will notice that this occurs with certain movements of your upper body.
“The clavicle can pop out of joint with certain upper body movements,” says Arielle Levitan, MD, board certified in internal medicine and co-founder of Vous Vitamin LLC and co-author of “The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear the Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health.”
“This is typically because the joint is lax,” says Dr. Levitan. “It can, however, be painful and sore to touch. If you have lax or ligaments you are more likely to have this happen.”
Certainly, for peace of mind as far as the cause, you can schedule a visit with your general practitioner or a sports medicine physician.
Your doctor can recommend exercises and also which movements to try to avoid to limit the popping in and out of your clavicle.
But rest assured, you do not have to worry about cancer or a neurological disease as the cause of this annoying condition.
Your health care professional can advise on particular exercises to engage in, and also which movements to do on a daily basis, to try to avoid or reduce the frequency of the popping in and out of your collarbone.
After all, this situation can also cause soreness or aching.
It is important to get plenty of calcium and to do strength training exercises for strong bones, especially as you get older.
A great shoulder exercise is that of pressing a heavy ball overhead for repetitions, bringing it down to chest level before pressing it back up again — while standing.
The clavicle will be strengthened with weight bearing exercises such as the one just described.
A regimen of strength training, however, will not cause a clavicle to pop in and out.
Dr. Levitan is board certified in internal medicine and has a special interest in women’s health and preventive medicine.
