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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMost bone spurs cause no signs or symptoms. Often you don't even realize you have bone spurs until an X-ray for another condition reveals the growths.
But some bone spurs can cause:
- Pain in your joints
- Loss of motion in your joints
Location determines other symptoms
Where your bone spurs are located determines where you'll feel pain and whether you'll experience any other signs or symptoms. For instance:
- In your knee, bone spurs may make it painful to extend and bend your leg. Bone spurs can get in the way of bones and tendons that keep your knee operating smoothly.
- On your spine, bone spurs can push against your nerves, or even your spinal cord, causing pain and numbness elsewhere in your body.
- On your neck, cervical bone spurs can protrude inward, occasionally making it difficult to swallow or painful to breathe. Bone spurs can also push against veins, restricting blood flow to your brain.
- In your shoulder, bone spurs can restrict the range of motion of your arm. Bone spurs can rub on your rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that help control your shoulder movements. This can cause swelling (tendinitis) and tears in your rotator cuff.
- On your fingers, bone spurs may appear as hard lumps under your skin, making your fingers appear disfigured. Bone spurs on your fingers may cause intermittent pain.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have pain or swelling in one or more joints, or if you have difficulty moving a joint. If you have an underlying health condition, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent or slow further joint damage.
- Spinal stenosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Spinal_Stenosis/default.asp. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Cesare PE, et al. Pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. In: Firestein GS, et al. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/170801601-3/916102101/1807/676.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3285-4..10089-0--s0140_3295. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Osteoarthritis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec04/ch034/ch034e.html. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Mercier LR. Plantar Fasciitis. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/170801601-7/0/2088/504.html?tocnode=58133755&fromURL=504.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00025-3--sc0175_10381. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Rotator cuff tears and treatment options. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00406. Accessed Nov. 12, 2009.
- Chang-Miller A (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 27, 2009.
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