Bone Spurs

Diagnosis of Bone Spurs

Your healthcare professional typically begins with a physical exam:

• Joint examination: Your doctor may feel around the joint to pinpoint pain or tenderness.

• Imaging tests: X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs may be ordered to view bones and joints and confirm the presence of bone spurs.

Treatment of Bone Spurs

Medications:
For pain relief, your healthcare professional may recommend over-the-counter medicines:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others)

• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others)

• Naproxen sodium (Aleve, others)

Therapies:

• Physical therapy: Strengthens muscles around the joint and improves flexibility, reducing pain and improving movement.

Surgery or other procedures:

• Bone spur removal: For painful bone spurs not relieved by other treatments.

• Joint replacement: May be recommended depending on the location of bone spurs, level of pain, and mobility limitations.

Lifestyle and home remedies:

• Weight management: Losing weight can reduce joint pressure and ease pain, especially in hips and knees affected by osteoarthritis.

• Exercise: Walking, biking, and swimming can strengthen muscles around joints and support weight loss.

Preparing for Your Appointment

You will likely start with your primary healthcare professional and may be referred to a rheumatologist.

What you can do:

• List all symptoms and their duration.

• Record medical history, including other conditions, medications, supplements, and family history of joint or bone disease.

• Note recent joint injuries.

• Prepare questions for your healthcare professional.

Questions to ask your healthcare professional:

• What’s the most likely cause of my symptoms?

• Are there other possible causes?

• What tests do I need?

• What treatment do you recommend?

• How can I manage other health conditions alongside this?

• Is surgery an option? Why or why not?

• What self-care measures can help manage symptoms?

What to expect from your doctor:

• Questions about the severity of pain.

• How joint symptoms affect daily activities.

• Effectiveness of any home treatments tried.

• Details about your exercise routine.