Foot Bone Spurs: Causes and Ways to Relieve

Jan 11 , 2021

Erandika Mohanathasan

Tags - Foot bone spurs

A bone spur is an extra bone grown where multiple bones meet (joints).

It usually feels like a lump beneath the skin. And the bone will become stiff and painful.

To be more specific, the medical term for a bone spur is “Osteophyte”.

Medical Explanation

When the cartilage between the bones deteriorates over time, to compensate that, the body will try to self heal.

However, when the body tries to self repair, there is a tendency for a formation of an extra bone, called a bone spur.

Causes and Likelihood of Bone Spurs

Bone spur is more likely to occur among people who have osteoarthritis.

Similarly, running, dancing, exercising, foot injury, obesity, and wearing unfit shoes are few other causes of having a foot bone spurs.

In more complicated cases, bone spurs can form in hips, spine, shoulder, knees and ankle.

However, feet are the most common place as more stress is added to the feet bones.

Usually, foot bone spur develops above the mid-foot or on toe or a heel.

Bone spurs are also known to be associated with pain, weakness, tenderness and numbness.

And, the risk of getting a foot bone spur increases with age.

In some cases, patients may not even feel they have a foot bone spur, but if the pain gets severe, it may become challenging to stand, walk or even wear shoes.

If you have a severe foot pain, consult a doctor and they will examine it, to identify if you have a foot bone spur using X-ray, CT scan or MRI.

Ways To Relieve Foot Pain

1. Weight loss

Weight loss will lower the stress on bones in feet and alleviate the pain related to foot bone spur.

So, exercise regularly, have a balanced diet with less calories and less sugar.

2. Wear Appropriate Shoes

If you work on your feet regularly, wear comfortable shoes, preferably with extra padding to reduce the pressure.

Further, wear shoes which fit well, not tight or loose.

3. Cortisone Injection

Consult your doctor to see if you require cortisone injection to halt inflammation.

Specifically, these are injected directly to your bone, so that it would reduce the stiffness, swelling and ease the pain.

4. Heat and Ice pack

Place the Heat or Ice pack on the swollen area.

Simply, ice packs could reduce the inflammation and swelling. Similarly, heat packs would reduce the stiffness and ease the pain.

5. Consult a Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists may advise you with relative exercises to strengthen the muscle around the bone spur.

Concluding Remarks

If none of the above helps to relieve the pain, then the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the bone spur.

Keep in mind that bone spurs could become an issue if it starts to rub against other bones or tissues, impede movements and restraint the nerves.

The pain of heel spurs feels like a sharp object (knife or pin) pricking beneath their feet, when standing up and then it shifts to a slight pain.

So, again, to prevent foot bone spur maintain a healthy diet, wear shoes which would reduce force/stress on joints.

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