Bone spurs can cause agonizing pain and handicap one’s activity. At times getting across the room can be almost impossible. What causes bone spurs? How do you get rid of bone spurs? How to dissolve bone spurs naturally? Let’s dig in.
What Causes Bone Spurs?
A bone spur is an abnormal outgrowth of bone that can occur on any boney surface as well as the insertion points of both tendons and ligaments (1). They are commonly seen in knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles as well as the spine. They are common in patients with osteoarthritis. Risk factors include advancing age, increased weight and physical activity (2). Bone spurs are very important as they can be a source of pain and loss of function. They can compress nerves, blood vessels and limit joint mobility. Bone spurs can develop quickly and in can take as little as 2-3 days in dogs (3).
Trauma, inflammation, and instability are common causes of bone spurs. Instability is a critical concept and poorly understood (4). The stability of a joint allows it to be in alignment all the time with all movements. Instability typically occurs due to muscle weakness or loose ligaments. An unstable joint stimulates the formation of a bone spur. The bone spur is an attempt by the body to create stability. Consider this example: if a get up at night to use the bathroom and trip over a toy, animal or child and start to fall my first instinct is to reach out with my arm to brace myself. So too with an unstable spine or a joint. The bone spur is an attempt to create stability.
How Do You Get Rid of Bone Spurs?
Not all bone spurs are painful and therefore not all spurs require attention or treatment. Physical therapy, stretching, ultrasound, dry needling, safe anti-inflammatory agents such as fish oil and massage are first-line treatment options. The location of the bone spur and its impact on the local tissue will determine treatment options. Extracorporal shock wave therapy is effective in the treatment of bone spurs on the heel (5). Steroid injections are often recommended but are toxic to tissue (6) Surgery is often used when conservative options have failed. If the underlying cause of the bone spur is not identified and treated the bone spur typically reoccurs.
How to Dissolve Bone Spurs Naturally
Creating joint stability is first and foremost in the management of bone spurs. Stability is dependent upon muscle and ligament strength. Loose ligaments or weak muscles can cause instability. If left untreated the bone spurs remain problematic with pain and loss of function.
Treatment must include:
Ligaments
Loose or partially torn ligaments are a common cause of bone spurs and can be treated with ultrasound-guided injections. The Centeno-Schultz Clinic has extensive experience in the treatment of bone spurs and instability. Treatment options include prolotherapy and PRP and bone-derived stem cells
Muscles
Spinal nerves transmit the signal from the brain to the muscle to contract. Irritation or compression of the spinal nerves can impair the signal to the muscle with resultant weakness. Muscle weakness is a common cause of instability and bone spurs. Low back herniations, protrusions, small joint overgrowth all can cause irritation or compression of the spinal nerves. The Centeno-Schultz Clinic has extensive experience in the treatment of spine disorders utilizing precisely-guided PRP or bone marrow-derived stem cells.
Once the underlying cause of the bone spur is treated the bone spur itself can be addressed. How to dissolve bone spurs naturally? Tenex is a new technology that can treat small to medium-sized bone spurs. Tenex is a minimally invasive procedure that utilizes ultrasonic energy to treat tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. Under ultrasound guidance, the Tenex needle tip is advanced into the targeted tissues. It is an effective nonsurgical option in the management of tendonitis and fasciitis that has not responded to conservative care (7). It is also effective in removing bone spurs. At the Centeno-Schultz Clinic, the Tenex procedure is performed in our office under local anesthesia often in combination with PRP.
In Conclusion
A bone spur is an abnormal outgrowth of bone that can occur on any bone tendons and ligaments. Bone spurs can be a source of pain, limit joint mobility and potentially compress nerves, vital organs, and blood vessels. Trauma, inflammation, and instability are common causes of bone spurs. Stability is critical and is dependent upon ligaments and muscles. Loose ligament and weak muscle can cause instability and bone spurs. First-line treatment is activity modification, stretching, PT and safe anti-inflammatory agents. Steroids injections are toxic to tissue and should be avoided. How to dissolve Bone Spurs naturally? Tenex is a minimally invasive ultrasound-guided procedure that uses ultrasonic energy to treat bone spurs.
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1.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S106345840600327X
2.Wong SH, Chiu KY, Yan CH. Review Article: Osteophytes. J Orthop (Hong Kong). 2016;24(3):403-10. DOI: 10.1177/1602400327.
3.Gilbertson EM. Development of periarticular osteophytes in experimentally induced osteoarthritis in the dog. A study using microradiographic, microangiographic, and fluorescent bone-labelling techniques. Ann Rheum Dis. 1975;34(1):12-25. doi: 10.1136/ard.34.1.12.
4.Goel A. Is it necessary to resect osteophytes in degenerative spondylotic myelopathy. J Craniovertebr Junction Spine. 2013;4(1):1-2. doi: 10.4103/0974-8237.121615.
5. Yalcin E, Keskin Akca A, Selcuk B, Kurtaran A, Akyuz M. Effects of extracorporal shock wave therapy on symptomatic heel spurs: a correlation between clinical outcome and radiologic changes. Rheumatol Int. 2012;32(2):343-7.DOI: 10.1007/s00296-010-1622-z.
6.Wernecke C, Braun HJ, Dragoo JL. The Effect of Intra-articular Corticosteroids on Articular Cartilage: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2015;3(5):2325967115581163. doi: 10.1177/2325967115581163.
7.Morrey B. Percutaneous Ultrasound Tenotomy Treatment for Chronic Tendinopathy. Ch 60 pp582-87. In Morrey’s The Elbow and its Disorders. Editors Morrey BF, Sanchez-Sotelo J, Morrey, M E. Ed 5. Elsevier, 2017.*