Causes of Bone Spurs

A bone spur is a hard little growth or projection that appears on the edge of your bones. The medical term for bone spur is osteophytes. When you move, bone spurs that rub against your joints, nerves or muscles may cause you pain. Some people have bone spurs for long periods of time and feel no symptoms at all. The causes of bone spurs are many. Sometimes treating an underlying health condition can prevent the formation of a bone spur.

Deficiency

• Bone spurs may form if you are not getting as much calcium as you need in your diet. Both children under 13 years old and adults need 400 to 500 mg daily. Teenagers should consume 1200 to 1300 mg of calcium each day. Pregnant women require 800 to 900 mg daily.

Age

• Just growing older may cause your body to develop a bone spur. Even if you have no health problems as you age, you may get asymptomatic bone spurs.

Plantar Fasciitis

• You may develop bone spurs if you have problems with plantar fasciitis--an inflammation of the tissue that is located on the sole of your foot. Chronic inflammation of the plantar tissue can cause a bone spur to develop on your heel, also called a heel spur.

Arthritis

• If you have osteoarthritis, bone spurs may form to make up for the cartilage you lose in your joints. Bone spurs may be your body's way of trying to heal itself.

DISH

• People who have a disorder of their skeletal system called diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, or DISH for short, are likely to get bone spurs. Those diagnosed with DISH develop bone spurs on their spines.