What
are bone spurs?
Sometimes
smooth,
hard bumps of extra bones are formed at the end of bones, these bumps are
called bone spurs or also known as osteophytes. More often, these bumps enter
in joints (where two bones meet).
Bone spurs can form on
different parts of your body such as:
·
Hands
·
Feet
·
Shoulder
·
Neck
·
Spine
·
Hips
·
Knee
Mostly, these spurs are not painful unless they are rubbing against
other bones or pressing on veins. If that is the condition, you will experience
stiffness and pain.
What
causes bone spurs?
Degenerative
joint
disease and joint damage due to osteoarthritis are two main causes of the bone
spur. The bones of your spine and cushioning between joints starts damaging
with your age. Joints can also be damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout.
Bone
spurs are also created after an injury. When your body thinks that any bone in
your body is injured, it tries to repair it adding some more bone to it
which causes bone spurs.
Other causes of bone spurs include:
·
Genes
·
Diet
·
Injuries
·
Obesity
·
Overusing a joint
·
Narrowing of the spine
·
Born with a bone problem
Symptoms
of bone spurs:
You
can not realize that you are having bone spurs unless you look for other
conditions by taking an x-ray. You only notice them if they form in your finger
joints because your finger will look little knotted. Bone spurs are only disturbing when they
press on your nerves, tendons or other structures in the body. Only 40 percent
of people who are 60 or above find it painful. In a painful condition, you will
feel:
·
Bumps under your skin
·
Pain in the affected joint
·
Weakness numbness or tingling in your arms and leg
·
When you try to bend or move the affected joint, you feel
pain
·
Muscle spasms, cramps or weakness
·
If bone spur presses nerves in your the spine then you will
feel difficult to control your bladder or bowels
Your
condition will get severe if you will try to exercise the affected joint. A
bone spur can also get stuck in joint and it would be difficult to move that
joint. This is called a “loose body”.
How
are bone spurs diagnosed:
Your
doctor can first diagnose it and then refer you to a specialist. You can see a
rheumatologist or orthopaedic doctor. Your doctor
will do a physical exam and feel a bump in joint. After that, he will recommend
an x-ray to look bone spur more
clearly.
He can ask for other tests too, such as:
·
CT scan
·
MRI
·
Electro conductive test
Risk factors:
·
You have high risks of bone spur if you have a family
history of spurs
·
The biggest risk factor of bone spurs is aging. A
little wear and tear starts in joints in older age.
·
If you were born with structural problem such as
scoliosis , you are at high risk.
·
Poor posture of your body can also lead to bone spurs.
How
are they treated?
The
doctor will prescribe over the counter pills to relieve pain or cure swelling.
These drugs may include:
·
Ibuprofen
·
Naproxen
·
Acetaminophen
If
you are taking these drugs in large doses or for a long period of time, then it
can cause side effects. Ask your doctor for a different treatment after using
these for a month. Some therapies are also useful for bone spur such as:
·
Taking rest
·
Physical therapy can improve joint movement
·
Taking steroids shots to overcome swelling and relieving pain
You might need surgery to remove bone spur if these
treatments are not helpful.
Prevention:
If
these spurs occur in a result of natural wear or arthritis then there is no
chance to prevent them. But if they are caused by other things then you can
prevent them by following these steps:
·
Eat a well balanced diet with lots of calcium and vitamin D
·
Do weight weight-bearingse regularly such as walking or
stairs climbing
·
Wear shoes with a wide toe space and good arch support.
·
Wear thick socks to prevent rubbing
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