BONE SPURS (OSTEOPHYTES)

Bone spurs, also called osteophytes, are bony projections that grow along the edges of bones. The bone spurs themselves aren't painful, but they can rub against nearby nerves and bones and cause pain.

Most commonly they form where bones meet each other - in joints - but they can also be found where ligaments and tendons connect with bone. Bone spurs form in the joints that make up your knees, hips, elbow, shoulders, fingers and feet.

Bone spurs can also form on the bones of your spine. It isn't clear what causes bone spurs, but doctors believe they occur in reaction to changes in your joints due to diseases and aging. Bone spurs usually occur as a result of a disease or condition - most commonly osteoarthritis. But they can also form on their own.

Most bone spurs cause no signs or symptoms and may go undetected for years. Other bone spurs form in places where they might rub against other bones or push against nerves, causing pain and disability. Where your bone spurs are located determines where you'll feel pain and whether you'll experience any other signs or symptoms.

For Instance:

In your knee, bone spurs may make it painful to extend and bend your leg. Bone spurs can get in the way of bones and tendons that keep your knee operating smoothly.

On your spine, bone spurs can push against your nerves, causing pain and numbness elsewhere in your body.

On your neck, cervical bone spurs can protrude inwards, occasionally making it difficult to swallow or painful to breathe. Bone spurs can also push against veins, restricting blood flow to your brain.

In your shoulder, bone spurs can restrict the range of motion of your arm. Bone spurs can rub on your rotator cuff; a group of tendons that help control your shoulder movements. This can cause swelling (tendinitis) and tears in your rotator cuff.

On your fingers, bone spurs may appear as hard lumps under your skin, making your fingers appear disfigured. Bone spurs on your fingers may cause intermittent pain.

Bone spurs are most commonly associated with osteoarthritis. As osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in your joint, your body attempts to repair the loss. Often this means creating new areas of bone along the edges of your existing bones. Bone spurs may also be a normal part of aging.

Many older people who don't have osteoarthritis or other diseases may still have bone spurs, though they aren't aware of them. Your body may create bone spurs to add stability to aging joints. Bone spurs may help redistribute your weight to protect areas of cartilage that are beginning to break down. For some people, bone spurs may actually provide a benefit, rather than a painful condition.

Bone spurs are the hallmark of other diseases and conditions, including:

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). This condition causes bony growths to form on the ligaments of your spine.

Plantar fasciitis. A bone spur, sometimes called a heel spur, can form where the connective tissue (fascia) connects to your heel bone (calcaneus). The spur results from chronic irritation or inflammation of the connective tissue, but it doesn't cause the pain associated with plantar fasciitis.

Spondylosis. In this condition, osteoarthritis and bone spurs cause degeneration of the bones in your neck (cervical spondylosis) or your lower back (lumbar spondylosis).

Spinal stenosis. Bone spurs can contribute to a narrowing of the bones that make up your spine (spinal stenosis), putting pressure on your spinal cord.

ACUPUNCTURE and BONE SPURS

1. We help reduce or eliminate pain with the use of our Hi-Tech Energy without acupuncture needles.

2. We recommend that you have a free consultation, bring in your medical reports and x-rays, and then can determine if you could benefit from our treatment. If you have small spurs we can help you. Some spurs do not cause pain if there is no pressure or pinched nerves.