Conditions and Symptoms of Bone Spurs

Bone spurs are smooth, bony projections that develop on the edges of bones. By itself, a bone spur is not painful. Pain does occur, however, when the bone spur rubs against nearby nerves and bones. Bone spurs can form on any bone in your body. Joints are a common place to develop bone spurs.

Development

• As the cartilage in your joints breaks down, your body attempts to repair the loss by growing new bones to replace the cartilage. This new bone builds up along the edges of your bones. Bone spurs build over long periods of time.

Common Symptoms

• Bone spurs sometimes have no symptoms. You can have an undetected bone spur for many years. Bone spurs are often found while testing for another condition. Possible symptoms, however, include pain, as well as loss of motion in your joint.

Symptoms by Lcoation

• When bone spurs do show symptoms, they are often local ones. A bone spur in your knee could cause you pain as you bend or extend your leg. A bone spur in your spine can push against your nerves and cause pain or numbness in other areas of your body. Neck bones spurs can grow inward and cause difficulty swallowing or painful breathing. Shoulder bones spurs can limit your range of motion. A bone spur on your shoulder can rub against your rotator cuff and cause swelling or tears to the rotator cuff. Finger bone spurs can cause pain and form disfiguring, hard lumps under your skin.

Causes

• Bone spurs can be caused by another disease or condition. They are common with arthritis and osteoarthritis. Poor posture or nutrition can lead to bone weakness, which can in turn lead to bone spurs. Injuries can lead to future bone spurs in the area of the injured bone. Bone spurs may also be a normal part of aging as our bones begin to weaken.

Benefits

• Bone spurs are sometimes your body's way of stabilizing a weak joint. Some bone spurs add stability to a weak or aging joint. In this case the bone spurs are a benefit, as they help keep the body stable.

Effects

• Bone spurs can break off from the bone and float into your joints. Bone spurs can become stuck in the lining of your joints and cause them to lock up. A locked-up joint will be unable to move until the bone spur changes locations.

Treatment

• No single specific treatment exists for bone spurs. Your doctor may give you cortisone shots or prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help ease the irritation and pain caused by the bone spur. If the bone spur is serious enough to limit your ability to go about your day-to-day activities it can be removed with surgery. You will likely also be treated for the underlying condition that caused the bone spur.