What Causes Bone Spurs And Plantar Fasciitis
Bone spurs are often associated with osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that causes cartilage to break down. It is the most common type of arthritis affecting over 27 million Americans. As osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in joints, your body attempts to repair the loss, or at least shield the bones from the effects of lost cartilage. It does this by creating a build-up of bone along the edges of your existing bones. This generally comes as a response to continued pressure, rubbing, or stress over a long period of time.
Bone spurs can also be caused by other diseases and conditions like:
Many older individuals without any diseases may still have bone spurs without being aware of them, as the body creates spurs to add stability to aging joints.
Knee Pain : What Is A Bone Spur And How Do I Know If I Have One
Most people have heard of a bone spur . But, they dont know exactly what it is or how to tell if they have one. If youre curious, heres everything you need to know:
Osteoarthritis and Bone Spur Development
Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. The condition, which usually affects patients over 50, causes the cartilage and soft tissue of the bodys joints to wear away. As wearing occurs, the cartilage thins and becomes frayed and rough. Eventually, cartilage will wear away completely or be torn, which causes bone-on-bone rubbing. Cartilage is very smooth and intact cartilage on cartilage is smoother than ice gliding on ice. Bone rubbing on bone has high friction and becomes painful as it catches with motion.
Illustration 1- An osteophyte
Illustration 2- An osteophyte as seen on an x-ray
Bone spur development. Bone-on-bone rubbing causes bones to become irritated and inflamed. In order to protect themselves, bones will form new, hard pieces of bone. Because bone spurs protrude into the joint, they can be extremely painful and limit mobility.
Diagnosing and Treating a Bone Spur
In order to determine if patients with knee pain have a bone spur, they need to see an orthopedic specialist. During an appointment with an orthopedic specialist, the following will occur:
Seeking Treatment
What Are Treatment Options For A Bone Spur
Treatment for bone spurs depends on the symptoms one is having. Pain is the most common symptom and is often initially treated with medications. Anti-inflammatory medications are typically used first. These help both to relieve pain and to reduce the inflammation caused by the bone spurs.
A doctor may also recommend physical therapy to help with bone spur symptoms. The physical therapy is not able to remove bone spurs, but it can help with some of the symptoms related to them. If one has a loss of motion in a joint caused by bone spurs, physical therapy can help strengthen the surrounding muscles and increase the motion in the joints. Physical therapy can include ice or cold packs, stretching exercises, ultrasound treatments, or massage.
In some cases, an injection of a steroid such as cortisone into the joint can help reduce pain from bone spurs. These injections can often be performed in a doctor’s office, depending on the joint involved. If the hips or spine are involved, the injections usually are performed using an X-ray machine to help guide the placement of the injection.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can be used to treat pain. A doctor or physical therapist can provide a patient with simple stretching exercises to perform at home. Other home remedies for bone spurs include applying ice to the affected joint.
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How Are Bone Spurs Treated
Several approaches can be taken to treatment depending on the severity of the symptoms.
A conservative approach for persons with mild or moderate pressure on the nerves or spinal cord might include:
- Steroid shots to help reduce joint swelling and pain. The effects of these are temporary and may need to be repeated up to 3 total in a year.
- NSAIDS to reduce swelling, relieve pain and relax muscles for four to six weeks.
- Physical therapy and manipulation of joints to restore flexibility and strength, improve posture and reducing the pressure on the nerves.
If this approach isn’t successful, surgery may be needed, such as a laminectomy to remove bone spurs.
What Is Bone Spur Of Knee
- Bone spur is an abnormal bone growth that can develop on the surface of bones. Usually, bone spurs are not painful by themselves, but may cause pain when they rub against the nerves and press surrounding tissue
- Bone spurs may develop on the surface of any bone. It most commonly involves the bones of the feet, elbow, and spine. Joint damage caused by degenerative joint disease, such as osteoarthritis, is the primary cause of bone spur in the joints
- Individuals with Bone Spurs of Knee rarely experience any signs or symptoms. However, in some cases, individuals may experience pain in the knee
- A majority of Bone Spurs of the Knee grow very slowly and are stable. However, in some cases, the growth is more rapid and unpredictable. In these cases, the healthcare provider may recommend surgery to remove the bone spurs
- Over-the-counter oral medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, are recommended if the condition is painful. Surgery may be required, if Bone Spurs of the Knee reduce an individuals range of motion in the affected knee joint, presses on nerves, or if the pain is not controlled by medication
- The prognosis of Bone Spurs of Knee is usually good and conservative methods are usually effective in treating many individuals. However, occasionally, a recurrence of the condition is noted
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How Do We Treat Osteophytes If You Have Them
People sometimes ask us if we can chip off the osteophytes in surgery. The answer is that we very rarely do that, largely because its not treating the underlying issue. For instance, if osteophytes are occurring in reaction to arthritis in your knee, we would want to investigate the extent of the arthritic damage and create a comprehensive plan to help you manage it. That might include conservative treatments, such as:
Simple painkillers like paracetamol, to manage the pain or irritation
Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
Physiotherapy to improve movement and build up strength in muscles surrounding the joint
If theres significant degeneration and its causing you a lot of pain and mobility problems in day-to-day life, we would then discuss the possibility of partial or total knee replacement surgery with you.
Its worth adding that osteoarthritis isnt the only factor in osteophyte growth. They can be related to other, rarer conditions, such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis . Again, we would want to properly diagnose and manage these conditions through a tailored treatment plan.
What Causes A Bone Spur
Bone spurs typically occur because of continued stress or rubbing of a bone for a prolonged period of time. This can be due to osteoarthritis or inflammation such as tendinitis. Normally there is a layer of cartilage along the edges of bones where they come together to form a joint. With osteoarthritis, this cartilage layer becomes worn away, and the bones can rub directly against each other. New bone forms in response to the stress or inflammation. It is the bones method of trying to stabilize or protect itself.
There are other medical conditions that are commonly associated with bone spurs. These include a condition known as plantar fasciitis. This is an inflammation of the fascia or connective tissue on the bottom of the foot where it attaches to the heel bone or calcaneus. Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and ankylosing spondylitis are both inflammatory disorders that affect the bodys ligaments and cause bone spurs in the spine.
Bone spurs do not always cause symptoms. Many people have bone spurs but do not know it. However, if bone spurs rub against other bones or nearby soft tissues they can cause pain or a loss of normal motion in a joint. This is most common in the hips, knees, shoulders, hands, and feet.
If the bone spurs rub against tendons or ligaments, they can cause pain or a tear. This is a common complication in the shoulder and can lead to a rotator cuff tear.
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Things To Know About Bone Spurs
- A bone spur is a tiny pointed outgrowth of bone.
- Bone spurs are usually caused by local inflammation, such as from degenerative arthritis or tendonitis.
- Bone spurs develop in areas of inflammation or injury of nearby cartilage or tendons.
- Bone spurs may or may not cause symptoms. When they do cause symptoms, the symptoms depend on their location.
- Bone spurs can be associated with pain, numbness, tenderness, and weakness if they are irritating adjacent tissues.
- Bone spurs are detected by radiologic testing, such as with plain X-rays, ultrasound imaging, MRI scan, CT scan, and myelograms.
- Bone spurs are treated only if they are causing symptoms. Initial treatment is directed toward decreasing inflammation and avoiding reinjury when possible.
What Are Treatment Options For Bone Spurs
Bone spurs are treated only if they are causing symptoms. Initial treatment is directed toward decreasing inflammation and avoiding reinjury when possible. Local cold application can help when the location of the bone spur is accessible. Anti-inflammatory medications, administered both orally and by local steroid injection , are commonly used, depending on the location of the spur. Local mechanical measures, such as orthotics, or shoe inserts, and local bone spur pads might be considered, depending on the location of the bone spur. Bone spurs that are causing irritation of nerves, tendons or ligaments and that are resistant to conservative measures can require surgical operations for treatment.
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Bone Spurs Are Actually Your Bodys Way Of Trying To Heal Damage
Bone spurs typically develop around areas of joint, cartilage, tendon or ligament inflammation and injury in the body. When the body detects an injury or inflammation, it triggers a cellular response to repair the damage by producing excess bone in the area.
Common areas for bone spurs include the hands, shoulders, hips, knees, feet, ankles and spine. Inflammatory injuries like achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis can lead to the development of bone spurs on the heels. Degenerative arthritis is a leading cause of bone spur development on weight-bearing joints in the spine, knees and hips.
Prevention And Prognosis Of Bone Spur In Knee
While in a lot of cases, bone spurs cant be prevented, there are some ways you may be able to reduce your risk of developing them. If you maintain a healthy weight by eating well and exercising regularly, if you limit repetitive stress on the knees, and if you wear proper safety equipment when engaging in sports, you will significantly reduce stress on the knee joints.
In most bone spur on knee cases, the prognosis is pretty good if treatment is applied within a reasonable amount of time. As we pointed out, there are situations where the bone spur will grow and become more painful, requiring surgery.
Thousands of Americans suffer from bone spurs every year. When someone experiences the kind of knee pain that makes it difficult to carry out normal day-to-day tasks, such as walking, it is time to seek medical attention. In the case of recurring bone spurs, you shouldnt assume youre an expert. Just because you might have been down this road before doesnt mean that you can take matters into your own hands. For the best possible outcome, see a doctor as soon as possible.
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How To Treat A Knee Bone Spur
Knee bone spur treatment is not necessary if you arent experiencing any pain. If you have mild to moderate pain, bone spur in the knee treatment can include attempts to relieve pain and stiffness in the joints. For instance, losing weight can help decrease the load on your knees and thus lower the pain.
The following are considered common treatments for bone spurs in the knee:
Tips For Pain Management
Take the following steps to help control your bone spur pain:
- Lose weight, if youre overweight or obese, to relieve the burden on your joints.
- Wear shoes that offer good foot support to cushion your feet and other joints when you walk.
- Start physical therapy to learn exercises that will strengthen the muscles around the joint and stabilize it, too.
- Maintain proper posture when standing or sitting to help preserve back strength and keep your spine properly aligned.
- Use over-the-counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen, when inflammation and pain flare up because of a bone spur. Ask your doctor before taking an anti-inflammatory drug.
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What Is A Bone Spur
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis youve likely heard of osteophytes or as they are more commonly known, bone spurs and sometimes referred to as spurring bone. So, what is a bone spur? Bone spurs are abnormal bony lumps that appear on the surface of joints that have suffered some degree of cartilage loss. Through wear and tear, cartilage, the cushioning within the knee joint, slowly degrades resulting in the formation of bone spurs as your body adapts to maintain the stability of the knee joint.
Causes Of Bone Spurs In The Knee
The most common cause of loss of cartilage in the knee joint that can lead to the development of bone spurs is knee osteoarthritis, which affects more than 45% of Americans at some point in their lives.
Cartilage loss in the knee joint can also result from injury to the knee, including anterior cruciate ligament ruptures, meniscus tears, and patellar dislocations that increase the risk of cartilage damage and knee osteoarthritis in the future. Anyone who overuses their joints, including athletes, military personnel, and those with physically demanding jobs, may be at an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Bone spurs occur in osteoarthritis due to the increased pressure in the joints that results from damaged cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes joint damage as a result of the body attacking its own joints, resulting in widespread systemic inflammation. Because of this, bone spurs do not typically develop in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as commonly as they do in patients with osteoarthritis.
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Treat Your Bone Spurs The Natural Way
Bone spurs can be very painful and can lead to a significant reduction in joint mobility. This can reduce your ability to perform various daily tasks and recreational activities. Fortunately, you can slow the progression of osteoarthritis and bone spur growth with physical therapy exercises.
The Injurymap app has a range of exercises for every part of the body. This includes all the parts of the body that can potentially develop bone spurs. You can use the app to perform stretching and strengthening exercises to relieve the pressure on your joints. The app shows you how to do each exercise with the correct form and technique. You can work out in the comfort of your home with little to no equipment.
Remember, osteoarthritis and bone spurs progress over time, so prevention is important. The earlier you begin exercising, the more successful you will be in reducing the pain from bone spurs. Try the Injurymap app today to ease your bone spur pain.
What Is The Prognosis Of Bone Spur Of Knee
- In a majority of cases, the prognosis of Bone Spurs of Knee is usually good and symptoms are resolved with suitable conservative treatment
- However, there is still a risk that the bone spur will continue to grow. in these cases, a healthcare provider will recommend surgery to treat the condition
- Occasionally, recurrent bone spurs may be observed and the relief obtained from surgery may only be temporary
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How To Dissolve Bone Spurs Naturally
Bone spurs, if youve had them, can be extremely painful or barely noticeable, or somewhere in between. Each patients case is unique, which is why its essential to learn about bone spurs, how to dissolve them, and your treatment options in full before leaping to start surgery. Our medical director, Dr. Steven Burns, DPM, FACFAS, always considers each patients unique needs and lifestyle before suggesting surgery and typically coordinates a more conservative treatment option before surgery as an option. Why? Bone spurs can be dissolved and pain can be alleviated without taking a scalpel to your feet. For many, surgery can be more disruptive than the bone spur itself.
So, what are bone spurs? What do you need to know? Osteophytes, or bone spurs, are calcium deposits found on the bone, particularly on or around joints. Over time, the cartilage that cushions your foot and toe joints break down due to wear and tearthis is called osteoarthritis. Your body develops these calcium deposits as an attempt to replace the cartilage that has been lost.
For some, bone spurs on the feet and toes can cause limited mobility, severe joint pain, and numbness. For others, bone spurs can go unnoticed for years because of the lack of symptoms. Each case is unique, which is why its crucial to meet with a podiatrist for professional evaluation and diagnosis.
To alleviate your pain and to start treating bone spurs conservatively, follow our tips below.
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