How can a bone spur be treated?

Since bone spurs frequently don’t cause any symptoms, they often do not require any treatment, even if their presence is known from X-rays that were taken for other reasons. If bone spurs cause problems the treatment can be aimed directly at the bone spurs. In this case, bone spurs can be removed surgically. However before the surgical removal of a bone spur other forms of therapy are usually tried first. These other forms of therapy often are not intended to directly change the bone spur, but rather to reduce the symptoms or are directed against the causes of the spur. In cases where spurs in the foot are caused by shoes that are too tight, changing the footwear can bring relief.

Symptoms of heel spurs at the site where plantar fascia attaches to the heel often improve, if the pressure on the heel is reduced over a period of time. This can be achieved through methods such as weight loss, the use of a heel cuff or an orthotic insert, or by directing the patient to use of foot wear with better support.

Physical therapy to stretch and strengthen the affected muscles, tendons and ligaments around the bone spur can also often bring relief of painful bone spur symptoms. Deep tissue ultrasound therapy and massage therapy are other methods that aim at the improvement of bone spur symptoms without resorting to removing the bone spur.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are widely available over the counter like ibuprofen or naproxen can help curb inflammation and achieve relief of pain. Physical therapy can also improve the strength of the muscles in the area of an affected joint and help increase the range of motion. If these attempts do not show the expected success, corticosteroids can be injected directly into the affected joint. These injections of corticosteroid into the joint decrease the inflammation, which reduces the pain and allows the injury to heal. If all of these options fail to relief the symptoms, surgery might be a last resort. Surgery might be used to remove the bone spurs themselves, if they are the reason for the joint problem, and if other treatment attempts have failed.

In more severe cases, in which large or pointy bone spurs have a severe impact on the patient's quality of life, a complete joint replacement surgery might be necessary. This removes the bone spur while simultaneously replacing the entire joint with artificial models, and is often suitable for people with severe osteoarthritis.