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A bone spur (also known as an osteophyte) is a bony growth that can form on the normal bones of your spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees and feet. Usually, they are smooth, but it can cause pain and wear and tear if it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons or nerves in the body.
If pain from a bone spur is disrupting your life, take the first step to finding relief with our free interactive pain assessment below.
Bone spurs develop as a result of damage or irritation to a bone. Most bone spurs are caused by tissue damage brought on by osteoarthritis. As this disease breaks down the cartilage cushioning the ends of bones, your body attempts to repair the loss by depositing new bone, forming a bone spur.
If a bone spur grows large enough, it can pinch the spinal cord or surrounding nerves and cause troublesome symptoms. Pain, numbness and tenderness at the location of the spur are common symptoms of a bone spur. Other localized bone spur symptoms include:
Joint damage from osteoarthritis (/conditions/osteoarthritis/) is the most common cause of bone spurs. As osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage cushioning the ends of your bones, your body attempts to repair the loss by creating bone spurs near the damaged area. Other risk factors for bone spurs include disc degeneration, heredity, injuries, nutrition, poor posture or being born with structural problems.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a bone spur, and are ready to take the next step, use our interactive tool below to assess your condition.
Several approaches can be taken to treating bone spurs depending on the severity of the symptoms, and only if symptoms are actually present.
Initial treatment is directed toward decreasing inflammation and avoiding re-injury when possible. A conservative approach for those with mild or moderate symptoms might include:
If non-surgical treatments are unsuccessful, surgery may be needed to remove a bone spurs, or other procedures such as a microlaminectomy can be performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
If you are suffering from painful symptoms associated with bone spurs, and are ready to take the next step toward finding relief — try our interactive treatment finder below to get started on a path forward with the Integrated Spine Institute.
Integrated Spine Institute
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