Contrary to popular belief, bone spurs are not sharp or pointed pieces of bone, they are actually quite smooth and usually round in shape, and typically form around joints as a by-product of osteoarthritis. Bone spurs, osteophytes can also form in other places such as the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet. Bone spurs begin to form in most cases as the body's natural response to joint degradation due to old age, injury, bone loss, and/or damage caused from no cartilage.

What Causes Bone Spurs?

• Age
• Overuse- from work, play, sports...
• Previous Injury- existing damage to joints and loss of function from use.
• Obesity
• Genetics
• Degenerative conditions- RA, Lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, gout

Why Are Bone Spurs So Painful?

Common Bone Spur Hotspots-

• Hands
• Wrists
• Knees
• Ankles
• Hips
• Lower back
• Shoulders
• Elbows
• Neck
• Hands

How Physical Therapy for Bone Spurs Works?

Adjusting Movement: Finding the root of the problem will help our physical therapists to create a personalized treatment plan that will help with correcting the main cause(s) of bone spur pain. In most cases, there are specific movements that cause a patient pain and that offers our physical therapists valuable insight on where and how to start the bone spur physical therapy treatment plan.

Pain Management: People living with bone spurs typically have to tolerate related aches and pains everyday, leading to a loss in quality of life. Our physical therapists can help alleviate the pain by using different manual therapy techniques and other modalities, along with specialized stretches, massages, and exercises to help reduce pain associated with bone spurs.

Restoring Alignment, Muscle Strength, and Symmetry: With the ever-changing dynamics of the human body, you may find overtime that some muscles may have shifted. Exercises used with physical therapy for bone spurs can help you to restore muscle symmetry, as well as, enhancing the alignment of your joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Stretching & Breathing Exercises: With all types of physical therapy focusing, on breathing is very important. By utilizing different breathing exercises and using the prescribed stretching techniques on a regular basis, you will be able to slow the progression of bone spurs, ease some of the associated pain from bone spurs, increase range of joint motion, while strengthening supporting muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Posture Awareness: When someone has bone spurs, there are certain postures that may make their condition worse or even cause excruciating pain. Therefore, it is important to be aware of your body’s entire posture. Once you are aware of how different postures may affect you, it will be easier to begin to correct the issue at the potential source.

Joint Mobilization: Depending on where the bone spurs are located, your physical therapist may recommend methods to alleviate some of the daily stress put on the affected joints. Some of these options could include correcting posture, finding different ways to move, or utilizing braces or orthotics.

How can physical therapy stretches and exercises help my bone spurs?

• Helps to stabilize joints, surrounding muscles, and tendons
• Promote better joint alignment
• Allows for mobilization of any stiff muscles and tendons
• Improvement of posture
• Enhances neuromuscular control
• Assists in relieving pain
• Increasing muscle strength
• Improved cardiac function

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help alleviate your bone spur issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20 different bone spur PT sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized bone spur physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your PT sessions yet from the comfort of your own home.

Common Bone Spur Treatments-

• Rest
• PT
• OT
• Massage
• Hot and Cold packs
• OTC pain relief medicine
• Orthotics and Bracing
• Injections
• Ultrasound
• Diathermy
• Surgery
• New non-invasive options

Can I benefit from Bone Spur Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is an excellent nonsurgical treatment for bone spurs, arthritis, and RA. However, depending on the severity of your case, bracing or surgery may be recommended. With bracing, you will wear a brace to provide problematic areas additional support to prevent any additional injury and in some cases, even some pain relief. If you have a severe case of bone spurs then your doctor may prescribe medicine, consistent bone spur physical therapy treatment sessions, bracing, and/or surgery.

Chronic Pain: If you or your child has chronic pain related to bone spurs they may benefit from physical therapy for arthritis, related stretches and exercises, and manual therapy.

With bone spur physical therapy the main goal is to slow the progression of the bone spur itself, to strengthen surrounding muscles and tendons, and to prevent future injury. If you or someone you care about is suffering from bone spurs, then physical therapy may be a good choice. To learn more about this form of treatment for bone spurs, or to schedule a consultation, feel free to reach out to my team and I today.