Bone Spurs

Bone Spur (Osteophyte) - bone outgrowths that can occur along the edges of any bone or joint. Bone spurs are most common in joints, where either two or more bones come together, or where muscles, ligaments, or tendons attach to the bone.

• Common Bone Spur Areas
• Bone Spurs - Causes
• Bone Spurs - Symptoms
• Bone Spurs - Tests
• Bone Spurs - Treatment

Common Bone Spur Areas

Bone spurs are common in these parts of the body

• Neck (cervical spine)
• Low back (lumbar spine)
• Shoulders
• Knees
• Feet
• Heels

Bones Spurs - Causes

Bone spurs are commonly caused by repeated stress, overuse, or constant rubbing of a bone for a prolonged period of time. The extra over-exertion on the bone or joint can be caused by

• Osteoarthritis (decrease of protective cartilage, causing the bone to protect itself and grow and harden more than it had before)
• Tendinitis
• Plantar Fasciitis - inflammation of the fascia or connective tissue where is attaches to the heel or calcaneus
• Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)
• Ankylosing Spondylitis - inflammatory disorder that affect the body's ligaments and causes bone spurs in the spine

Genetics are also believed to be a large factor in bone spur formation.

Bones Spurs - Symptoms

Many people have bone spurs without painful, uncomfortable or visible symptoms, and do not know it. Typical symptoms are often:

• Pain from bone spurs rubbing against other bones
• Loss or decrease of join motion
• Visible bone protrusion (possibly increasing over time
• Nerve pain from pinched nerves (radiculopathy)
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness of affected parts of the body
• Loss of mobility
• Joint discoloration
• Psychological distress and feeling of inattractiveness

Bones Spurs - Tests

Doctors can often just tell a bone spur by looking at the affected area. A physical exam can testing the affected joints to determine range of motion, degree of pain, and muscle strength. Imaging studies to evaluate for bone spurs are often:

• X-rays - typically show if bone spurs have formed and if the joint is affected
• MRI or CT scan - in case of possible tear of a tendon such as a rotator cuff tear or spinal problems

Bones Spurs - Treatment

Treatment for bone spurs depends on the symptoms, patient condition, and how much of the symptoms the patient wants to relieve. Pain is typically first treated with antiinflammatory initially treated with medications and diet. If relieving inflammation does not help, the doctor may recommend physical therapy to help ease some of the symptoms and regain strength and joint motion. Common physical therapy can include

• Special pads or straps to help the joint, especially with foot or ankle spurs (Orthotics)
• Ice or cold packs
• Stretching exercises, yoga, pilates, or gyrotonics
• Massage

In some cases, an injection of a steroid such as cortisone into the joint can help reduce pain from bone spurs. If the injection does not help, surgery to remove the bone spurs is an option. Surgeries for bone spurs are usually difficult and recovery perios are long because the doctor either has to cut of the spur from the original bone, or manipulate and reattach ligaments.