Bone spurs aren’t necessarily uncommon, or serious, but when they interfere with your joint, they can cause pain and mobility issues. At Virginia Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates, the expert team of Joseph R. Disabato, DPM, and Melissa L. Gulosh, DPM, has a number of tools to deal with problematic bone spurs in your feet. If you’re in the Charlottesville or Culpeper, Virginia, areas and you’re dealing with painful bone spurs, call or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.
Bone Spur Q & A
What are bone spurs?
The bones in your body are made up of living tissue that’s constantly rebuilding and repairing itself. When your body registers an injury, it signals your bones to shore up their strength by producing more bone, which can create bone spurs. Bone spurs can form on any bone, but they’re more often found on the ends of bones in your joints.
Where do bone spurs develop in the feet?
While bone spurs can crop up anywhere in your body, they’re particularly prevalent in feet. Bone spurs can develop in the joint at the base of your big toe and in your heels. Less commonly, bone spurs can form on the end of a bunion, in your toes, or in your midfoot.
What conditions cause bone spurs?
Many conditions can lead to the development of bone spurs, including:
- Fractures
- Bunions
- Plantar fasciitis
- Foot mechanics (high or low arches, as well as feet that roll inward or outward)
- Arthritis
A number of factors put you more at risk of developing bone spurs, such as carrying extra weight or wearing shoes that are too tight.
What are the symptoms of bone spurs?
Many bone spurs go unnoticed until your doctor finds them during an examination or on an X-ray. Since these spurs aren’t causing you any discomfort, your doctor usually just monitors them.
When your bone spur makes itself known, it’s usually through:
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Developing corns
- Stiffness
Severe bone spurs can greatly affect your mobility, especially painful ones in your heels or those that develop in your big toe joint, leading to hallux rigidus. Bone spurs can also break off and lodge within a joint.
How are bone spurs treated?
If you have problematic bone spurs, the doctors at Virginia Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates first will try conservative treatments, which include anti-inflammatory medications and/or corticosteroid injections.
If your bone spurs continue to pose problems, your doctor may suggest a minimally invasive surgery to remove the spur(s) to free up your joints.