What is Bone Spur?
Bone spur, medically known as osteophytes, are extra bones or bony growth form on normal bones.
Bone spur can cause pain or wear and tear (degeneration) if the spurs press or rub on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, or nerves in the body. Common places for bone spurs include the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet.
What are the Causes of Bone Spur?
– Wear and Tear of cartilage (degeneration due to arthritis), our body attempts to repair the loss by growing bony spurs near the damaged area.
– Prolonged stress or irritation of a bone over long time
Symptoms of Bone Spur
– Bone spur may present without any symptoms or pain
– If the bone spur is pressing on surrounding tissues (muscle, tendon or ligament) or bones, it may cause a pain or loss of movement
– If the bone spur occurs in the spine (neck or back), spur may impinge on the nerves or spinal cord, causing numbness, tingling or weakness down the arms or legs.
Physiotherapy Treatment for Bone spur
The treatment for bone spurs varies from different individual, depending on the reason of the cause.
Treatment may include possible surgery to remove the spur if the pain or discomfort are not resolved with conservative physiotherapy treatments.
Physiotherapy treatments may include:
– Pain relief treatments: ultrasound to reduce pain and inflammation surrounding the bone spur
– Soft tissue massage: To relieve the muscle tension around the spur
– Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
