Clavicle pain from cleans

[Marshall Adam Pecsek]

I've been working on my clean technique, mainly by using drop cleans and hang cleans. I've had, in the past, a tendency to drop a little lower than is necessary on my cleans and have the bar crash down on my clavicle, mainly because I'm working on dropping low enough. My elbow and wrist positioning has gotten way better, and so has my timing, so my catch is becomming more and more efficient (i.e. I only drop as far as it necessary and I catch the bar on the delts). Every once in a while, though, I'll slip. A little over a week ago, I caught the bar on the top of my clavicle, unevenly, so the bar hit the point of the collarbone just outside the trachea on the left side. It hurt like hell, and my whole left arm went tingly for a few seconds. Ever since, I can catch the clean well, but on the dip for the jerk the bar occasionally presses back and causes some real pain. It's completely absent when I don't touch it directly, so I don't think I chipped the bone, and there was no bruising. I think I may have traumatized a nerve, though. Has anyone done this before?

[Eric Kerr]

Marshall,

Possibly similar?

I had a partial dislocation of the sternum clavicular in college. Tried to throw soemone's entire body weight over my head with one arm fully extened. It worked but at the cost of an 8 week sitdown.

After 8 weeks it still clicked a bit if I raised my arm over my head, but the mobility was back without pain. It was a year or two before the clicking went away and bar dips felt okay to do again.

Doc and trainer didn't recommend immoblizing it, but I was told to stay away from motions that aggrivated it. Strength & Condition was limited to parts of my body that didn't involve that arm much.