What are the symptoms of bone spurs?

Bone spurs often present with symptoms such as pain, joint stiffness, and limited mobility. Specific areas may also experience swelling or numbness due to nerve compression. Bone spurs are proliferative changes in bones caused by degeneration, injury, or long-term uneven force. In severe cases, medical attention should be sought in a timely manner to avoid worsening symptoms.

1) Pain and local stiffness

The most typical symptom of bone spurs is pain, which is more obvious after activities. This is because after the bone spur is formed, its abnormal protrusion may irritate the surrounding soft tissue or nerves. If it is located in the cervical or lumbar spine, the patient may feel stiffness and discomfort when waking up in the morning, and the symptoms will gradually ease after activities; if it is a bone spur in a weight-bearing joint such as the knee, the pain related to exercise will be more obvious. Ways to relieve it may include proper rest, hot compresses, etc. If the pain continues to worsen, you need to seek professional medical help in time.

2) Numbness or tingling caused by nerve compression

When bone spurs are located near the spine, they may compress the peripheral nerves, causing numbness, radiating tingling, and even weakness in the hands and feet. For example, cervical spurs may compress the cervical nerves, causing neck pain to extend to the arms and even fingers, while lumbar spurs may compress the sciatic nerves, causing radiating pain from the waist to the lower limbs. If the above symptoms occur, it is recommended to take a spinal X-ray or MRI to determine the cause.

3) Joint soreness and limited mobility

When bone spurs are in the joints, they can cause soreness and swelling due to friction, and can also limit joint movement, affecting daily life. For example, patients with knee bone spurs will feel discomfort when squatting or climbing stairs, while heel bone spurs can cause tingling when standing or walking. These symptoms can be relieved by strengthening joint strength exercises, such as swimming, simple stretching exercises, etc., but excessive weight bearing will aggravate the symptoms, so you should pay attention to moderate exercise.

4) Local swelling and inflammation

Bone spurs may also cause wear and tear in the joint cavity, leading to inflammation, which may be accompanied by local swelling, fever, tenderness, etc. Usually, this situation needs to be relieved by anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen. At the same time, topical ointments or physical therapy can be used under the guidance of a doctor to reduce the inflammatory response and relieve discomfort.

Symptoms of bone spurs vary depending on the location of the bone spur. If the symptoms are mild, they can be relieved by improving lifestyle habits, increasing joint flexibility and muscle strength, and exercising properly. However, if there is obvious pain and dysfunction, you must seek medical treatment. Under professional guidance, the disease can be effectively controlled through medication, physical therapy, and even surgery.