Description

Bone spurs are bony growths that form along the edges of bones. They are also called osteophytes. Bone spurs often form where bones meet each other — in your joints. May also form on the bones of the spine.

The main cause of bone spurs is the joint damage associated with the most common type of arthritis. This is called osteoarthritis. Bone spurs often cause no symptoms. You may not be aware of them, and your health care team might not happen to find them for years. Bone spurs may not need treatment. If treatment is needed, it depends on where spurs are located and how they affect your health.

Symptoms

Often, bone spurs do not cause symptoms. You might not know you have bone spurs until an X-ray for another condition reveals the growths. But sometimes, bone spurs can cause pain and loss of motion in the joints.

The symptoms depend on where the bone spurs are. Examples include:

  • Of the knee. Bone spurs in the knee can make it painful to extend and bend the leg.
  • Of the spine. In the small bones that form the spine, bone spurs can narrow the space that contains the spinal cord. These bone spurs can pinch the spinal cord or its roots. That can cause weakness or numbness in the arms or legs.
  • Of the hip. Bone spurs can make it painful to move the hip. Sometimes, it can feel like the pain in the knee or the thigh. Depending on your placement, bone spurs can reduce the range of motion in the hip joint.

When to see a doctor

Get a health check if you have:

  • Pain or swelling in one or more joints.
  • Difficulty moving a joint.
  • Weakness or loss of sensation in the arms or legs.

Causes

The joint damage from osteoarthritis is the most common cause of bone spurs. Osteoarthritis breaks down the connective tissue called cartilage that protects the ends of bones. While this happens, the body tries to repair the loss of the creation of bone spurs near the damaged area.

Risk factors

The risk of bone spurs is greater in people who have arthritis.

Diagnosis

Your health care professional gives you a physical exam. Your doctor or another member of your health care team can be felt around the joint to determine the cause of the pain. X-rays or other imaging tests may be done to the eye of the joints and the bones.

Treatment

Drugs

If you have bone spurs, causing pain, your healthcare provider may recommend pain relievers, which are sold without a prescription. These include:

  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
  • Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).
  • Naproxen sodium (Aleve, others).

Therapies

Physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles around the joints. It can also help you to be more flexible. This relieves the pain and helps you move better.

Surgery or other procedures

Some people with pain bone spurs due to osteoarthritis may benefit from surgery if no other treatments work. Surgery may include removal of the bone spurs, or the replacement of an affected joint. Depends on where the bone spurs are, how painful they are and how much they limit movement.

Lifestyle and home remedies

If you are overweight and have osteoarthritis in the hips or knees, the weight loss can help to relieve the bone spur pain. Even a small amount of weight loss can help.

Exercise can help people lose extra weight. You can also make the muscles around the joints stronger. Types of exercises that may help include walking, biking, and swimming.

Preparing for your appointment

It is likely that you first consult your primary healthcare professional. You may be referred to a doctor who discovers and tries to joints, called a rheumatologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • The list of your symptoms and how long you have had.
  • Write down your key medical information. Include any other conditions that you have, all the drugs and supplements you take, and the whole history of the family of the bones or joints of the disease.
  • Note recent injury that affected a joint.
  • Write questions to ask their health professional.

Here are some questions to ask your health care professional. Feel free to ask the others.

  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • There are other possible causes?
  • What tests do I need?
  • What treatment do you recommend, if any?
  • I have other health conditions. How can I manage together?
  • Is surgery an option for me? Why or why not?
  • What self-care steps can I take to help control the symptoms?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare provider will likely ask questions such as:

  • How bad is the pain?
  • Are you having difficulty moving the affected joint or joints?
  • Are the symptoms that affect your ability to complete daily tasks?
  • If you've tried the at-home treatments up to now, what, if anything, it has helped?
  • What is your typical workout routine?
Symptoms and treatment for Bone spurs