A bone spur is a bony growth formed on a normal bone. Most people think of something sharp when they think of spur but actually a bone spur is smooth. A spur can cause wear and tear or pain when it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments or tendons. Common areas for spurs on the foot are the toes and heel.
A spur is formed by the body trying to repair itself when rubbing, pressure or stress is experienced. Most commonly these occur as part of the aging process. As we age the tissue called cartilage that covers the ends of the bones within joints breaks down and wears away. Over time this leads to swelling and in some cases bone spurs.
Bone spurs can also form in the feet in response to tight ligaments. Activities such as dancing and running as well as pressure from being overweight can put additional stress on your feet. A heel spur can form on the bottom of the foot as the ligament becomes stressed or tight, and it can pull on the heel causing the ligament to become inflamed. As the bone tries to heal a bone spur can form.
Many people have bone spurs without even knowing it, because most cause no symptoms. However, bone spurs in the foot can also cause calluses when tissue builds up to provide added padding over the bone spur. An X-ray can be taken to evaluate whether a spur is causing the issue or not.
Bone spurs don't always need to be treated unless they are causing pain, discomfort or damaging other tissues. Treatment can be directed at the cause, symptoms or the spurs themselves.
Treatment at the cause of bone spurs include:
- Weight loss
- Stretching the affected area if it is the heel
- Ultrasound
- Deep tissue massage
Treatment directed at the symptoms include:
- Rest
- Ice
- Stretching
- Ibuprofen
- Changing footwear
- Orthotics
- Padding to the affected area
- Steroid injection
- Surgery
Citation:
Photo by Debra Roby. (2007). Toe pre-surgery. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/darinhercules/348105594/
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