Often times, a bone spur causes individuals to experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling and muscle weakness. These symptoms appear when a bone spur, also called an osteophyte, comes into contact with a spinal nerve or with the spinal cord itself. The body creates bone spurs in response to continuous pressure that is placed on the natural bone structure. To learn about the causes and treatments of bone spurs, read the following article.

Causes of bone spurs

There are a variety of bone spur causes, including:

• Degenerative disc disease. This condition involves the gradual deterioration of the discs, which are seated between adjacent vertebrae and act as shock absorbers. The body may create a bone spur in an effort to provide the spine with added support and stability when an affected disc is no longer able to do its job.
• Osteoarthritis. Affecting the facet joints, which connect adjacent vertebrae, osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilaginous lining wears away. The body may create bone spurs in an effort to prevent bone-on-bone contact in the affected joints.
• Traumatic injury. Injury from car accidents and high-impact sports, such as football or hockey, can cause bone spurs to develop by placing added pressure on the spine.

Bone spur treatments

Treatment for spinal bone spurs typically involves a number of conservative techniques, including pain medications, muscle spasm medications, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy and epidural steroid injections. Some patients may also choose to pursue alternative therapies such as acupuncture, restorative yoga, Pilates, chiropractic manipulation and the use of herbs and nutritional supplements.

If several weeks or months of nonsurgical treatment fail to provide a patient with adequate relief, a physician or spine specialist may recommend surgery. Before consenting to any operation, patients should consider all treatment options and the risks and benefits that are associated with each of them. Contact USA Spine Care to learn how our minimally invasive procedures have helped more than 75,000 patients find relief from the chronic pain a bone spur causes.

By using a small incision that is muscle sparing, our team of highly skilled surgeons is able to remove the bone spur from the spine and relieve the pressure on the pinched nerve. To find out if you are a potential candidate for our outpatient procedures, reach out to our dedicated team today and ask for a free MRI review.* We can help you recapture your quality of life from your chronic pain and discomfort.