Bone Spurs? Heel Spurs? What are They?
Bone Spurs? What are Bone Spurs?
A bone spur is an abnormal protruding bone growth that occurs on the surface of a bone – primarily on bones located in the spine, feet, hips, knees or shoulders.
How Does a Bone Spur Occur?
Bone spurs grow in areas of the body where an injury or inflammation takes place – usually to help the body repair itself. Joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons are places more likely where bone spurs will grow because they’re areas where bones connect to other bones; and they’re areas that tend to experience a lot of pressure, stress and constant rubbing. Age can also play a role in the formation of a bone spur. The older we get, the more likely cartilage located between our bones will gradually diminish; plus bone spurs can also form due to inflammatory arthritis. Heel spurs (bone spurs that grow on the heel bone) are often times the result of plantar fasciitis: the sudden increase in strain and tension to the plantar fascia (the long ligament at the bottom of the foot). As the heel bone repairs itself, a bone spur can grow. Also, one could experience pump bump, a bone spur that forms at the back of the heel due to constant rubbing, which typically happens to women who wear tight shoes or high heels.
The Symptoms of a Bone Spur and Heel Spur
A bone spur can only be determined by an X-ray or other type of radiologic testing. A heel spur is often pain-free and can go unnoticed. But unfortunately, when heel pain is experienced, people tend to misdiagnose it thinking it’s a bone spur when in fact it’s plantar fasciitis. Pain is not the only symptom of a bone spur. Usually numbness and tenderness can also be associated with it since the bone spur can irritate the tissues, skin, nerves, tendons and fat pads that are near it. Corns and calluses can also form due to having a bone spur in the foot – tissue builds up to provide extra padding over the bone spur.
How to Treat a Bone Spur
- Bone spurs that don’t cause any pain or harm to other tissues or parts of the body do not need treatment
- Weight loss can alleviate pressure off of joints
- Heel Spurs:
- Wear athletic shoes with shock absorbing features to offload the pressure away from heel spurs
- Wear various orthotics or shoe inserts with cushioning heel cups to help reduce pain
- Wear cushioning socks such as Thorlos Socks for added comfort (optional)
- Do not wear standard dress shoes since they lack shock absorbing features
- Do not walk barefoot on flat, hard surfaces
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