What Are Bone Spurs? How to Relieve Pain Without Surgery

If you have been diagnosed with bone spurs, or suspect your persistent pain is related to this condition, you may wonder: What are bone spurs? Why do bone spurs form? And how can pain be reduced without surgery? This article will help you understand the mechanism of bone spur formation, common symptoms, and non-surgical treatment options.

What are bone spurs and how do they form?

What are bone spurs?

Bone spurs are extra bony growths that develop along the edges of existing bones. Although the name may suggest sharp points, most bone spurs have a relatively smooth, rounded surface and do not always cause pain.

Bone spurs can form in many areas of the body, most commonly the feet and heels, hands and finger joints, shoulders, hips, knees, neck, and spine. These are areas that bear significant load, move frequently, or are prone to inflammation, degeneration, and mechanical imbalance.

The biological mechanism behind bone spur formation

Bone spurs are essentially an adaptive response. When a joint experiences repeated pressure, friction, or chronic inflammation, the body attempts to "reinforce" the area by depositing calcium along the bone surface. This process is ossification — new bone formation at sites of mechanical stress. Over time, calcium hardens and forms protruding bone called a bone spur.

In essence, this is a protective effort, but excessive bone growth can cause pain and restrict movement. The spine is a prime example: it bears the body’s static load and dynamic loads when twisting, bending, or extending. Repetitive long-term pressure triggers this deposition process, leading to spinal bone spurs after many months or years.

Causes of bone spur development

Age, underlying medical conditions, individual biology, and daily habits can all increase the risk of abnormal calcium deposition and promote bone spur formation.

Aging: Over time, natural joint cartilage degenerates, thins, and loses its ability to protect bone surfaces. When this cartilage weakens, bone ends are more likely to rub against each other, causing inflammation and stimulating the body to form extra bone at joint margins to "reinforce" the load-bearing area.

Degenerative conditions: Bone spurs often occur alongside conditions such as osteoarthritis, spinal degeneration, or chronic arthritis. In particular, the risk of bone spur formation is often higher in

Poor movement habits: Long-distance running, prolonged standing on hard surfaces, frequent stair climbing, or lack of activity can create continuous pressure on bones, joints, and tendon attachment points. In addition, shoes that are too tight, too stiff, have thin soles or lack support can create abnormal pressure points, especially on the heel and sole of the foot.

Overweight and obesity: Body weight can increase load on the spine, knees, feet, and ankles. When joints bear greater pressure with each step, the risk of inflammation, degeneration, and bone spur formation also increases.

Abnormal foot structure: Flat feet or excessively high arches can change how forces are distributed when standing, walking, or running. This causes certain tendons, joints, and bone attachment points to be overloaded for extended periods.

Old injuries that didn’t heal properly: Fractures, sprains, tendinitis, or untreated soft tissue damage can leave mechanical imbalances, causing the body to deposit more calcium at the stressed area.

Symptoms of bone spurs

A bone spur is actually a benign bony outgrowth. In many cases, bone spurs develop silently without clear symptoms and are only found incidentally on X-ray, MRI, or during evaluation for another musculoskeletal issue. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), about 10% of the population have heel spurs, but only 5% of those actually experience pain. (AAOS), khoảng 10% dân số có gai gót chân, nhưng chỉ 5% trong số đó thực sự cảm thấy đau.

Pain only occurs when a spur grows large enough to compress a nerve root, ligament, or rub against surrounding soft tissues. Common signs of bone spurs include:

• Pain or tenderness at the spur site: The pain may be dull, sharp with movement, or worsen when the joint bears weight.

• Stiffness, reduced mobility: Patients may feel decreased joint flexibility, especially after prolonged rest, upon waking, or after sitting for long periods.

• Reduced range of motion: Bone spurs can make turning the neck, bending the back, lifting the shoulder, flexing the knee, or walking more difficult.

• Numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness: This symptom is common when spinal bone spurs irritate or compress nerve roots, causing numbness to radiate down the arms, legs, or related areas.

• Swelling, inflammation, or a catching sensation around the joint: In some cases, bone spurs irritate surrounding soft tissues, making the joint area painful, tight, or uncomfortable during repetitive movement.

Why you shouldn’t ignore bone spurs

Many people assume that asymptomatic bone spurs don’t need treatment. However, even without clear symptoms, a bone spur indicates that the joint may be undergoing degeneration, chronic inflammation, or prolonged mechanical stress. If the underlying cause and lifestyle factors are ignored, the spur can progress over time.

Common consequences include:

• Bone spur enlargement: If pressure and inflammation continue, the body may keep depositing calcium at the stressed area. Over time the spur grows larger, more likely to rub against soft tissue, tendons, or ligaments, or compress nerves, causing acute or chronic pain.

• Joint deformity: At sites such as finger joints, knees, or feet, bone spurs can make the joint rough, stiff, deformed, and less flexible. This affects not only appearance but also mobility.

Notably, spinal bone spurs can cause more serious complications than many other locations. As spurs grow, they can narrow the space where nerve roots pass, compressing nerves and leading to radiculopathy. Possible complications include: dysesthesia (numbness, tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations radiating into the arms, legs, or related areas); muscle weakness, decreased strength, or difficulty controlling movement…

Do bone spurs go away on their own?

When diagnosed with bone spurs, many people wonder: The answer is no. Once a bone spur has formed it will not shrink or disappear completely on its own.

The only way to remove a bone spur is surgery. Doctors can perform arthroscopic or open procedures to shave, debride, or excise the protruding bone. However, surgery is invasive, carries certain risks, and is not always necessary.

More importantly, if you only remove the bone spur without addressing underlying causes such as mechanical misalignment, joint degeneration, or chronic inflammation, bone spurs can recur over time. Therefore, a sustainable treatment approach focuses on reducing load on the affected area, controlling inflammation, improving mobility, and restoring musculoskeletal function.

Non‑invasive treatments for bone spurs

Posture correction – Reduce mechanical load

Habits like slouching at work, prolonged forward head posture while using a phone, lifting heavy objects incorrectly, or standing with uneven weight distribution can create asymmetric mechanical load on the musculoskeletal system. Patients should proactively correct these poor postures as early as possible to reduce mechanical stress on the spine and joints, thereby limiting progression of pain.

Weight management and muscle strengthening

Weight control is an important part of reducing mechanical burden on the skeleton. In addition, patients should exercise properly to strengthen supporting muscle groups. Useful exercises include stretching and core strengthening for the lumbar‑abdominal region, thigh and gluteal strengthening. When the musculature is strong enough to share load with the joints, pain may decrease and movement becomes easier.

Physical therapy – Pain relief and inflammation control

Physical therapy can help reduce pain, control inflammation, and improve functional mobility in the affected joint. Depending on the specific condition, clinicians may recommend modalities such as shockwave therapy, , electrotherapy, therapeutic ultrasound, or specialized rehabilitation exercises.

Among these, is commonly used to reduce pain and inflammation at tendon insertion points affected by calcification or chronic tendinopathy (for example, heel spurs with plantar fasciitis). This technology helps stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation, and support soft tissue healing, thereby improving pain symptoms.

Chiropractic adjustments – Supporting improved function and mobility

At Chiro Lifestyle, chiropractors treat many cases of bone spurs, particularly spinal spurs, heel spurs, and associated joint degeneration.

Before treatment, the chiropractor will perform a hands‑on clinical exam and order imaging as needed to precisely identify spur location, degree of degeneration, and risk of nerve compression. Based on the assessment, the doctor uses specific manual techniques to correct mechanical misalignments in the spine and joints, aiming to restore musculoskeletal balance. When spinal structure improves, pressure on nerve roots and surrounding soft tissues can lessen, helping to relieve pain and improve mobility.

Additionally, Chiropractic helps redistribute mechanical forces across the joints. When overloaded points are relieved, the joints and surrounding soft tissues experience less pressure, which can help slow the progression of degenerative changes.

The protocol at Chiro Lifestyle combines Chiropractic adjustments with personalized physiotherapy and rehabilitation to help control symptoms and improve mobility. Technologies such as Shockwave therapy and Laser therapy are used to reduce inflammation, relax soft tissues, and stimulate circulation in the affected area.

Patients also receive one-on-one rehabilitation exercise instruction from a therapist to ensure correct technique and tailoring to their condition, supporting more effective recovery of function and reducing the risk of recurrence. However, treatment outcomes depend on each individual’s specific condition and physiology.

Don’t let bone spurs quietly limit your mobility. Please at Chiro Lifestyle to receive an accurate assessment of the cause and safe, appropriate rehabilitation guidance from a physician.

CHIRO LIFESTYLE CLINIC

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