Bone spurs can be a painful condition where protuberances develop along a bone's edge. Spurs can occur on any bone in the body, with pain exaggerated when nerves become compressed or spurs rub against other bones. Your treatment options will depend on the severity of the spurs, their location and how the condition is affecting your life.

Nonsurgical Options

Bone spurs can exist for years without causing any pain or limitations in movement. If you have a bone spur and are experiencing moderate pain without any limitations to your joint mobility, your doctor may advise a conservative treatment program. The foundation of this program is rest with over-the counter medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for pain management. Evaluating how the spurs have developed may lead to a program that prevents the condition from worsening. External issues may be athletic shoes that are too tight and rubbing on top of the foot. Internal conditions may be poor posture creating bones to rub excessively. Making adjustments through lifestyle or physical therapy may be enough to solve the problem. If over-the-counter medications are not working, your doctor may give you a series of corticosteroid shots to reduce inflammation and help reduce pain. But Dr. Ross Hauser, of the University of Illinois in Chicago, says that this may have an adverse effect in healing the bone spur, because of the inability of the body to absorb calcium. Always be cautious with steroid injections, as they can create long-term problems with bone brittleness.

Surgical Options

Surgical options should be considered when conservative treatments fail or the spurs are impeding movement. Movement may be impeded because the joint doesn't have the space to move or a nerve may be damaged through compression by the bone spur. In these circumstances, a surgeon opens the area around the joint and scrapes away the excess bone mass. Most surgery for bones spurs is done arthroscopically, leaving minimal scarring. Osteoarthristis, spinal stenosis and plantar fasciitis are common conditions that can lead to bone spurs and subsequent surgical intervention, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Source:

Mayo Clinic: Bone Spurs

Ross Hauser, MD: Cortisone Shots