Pesky Bone Spurs: Should They Be Removed?

When a piece of wood gets a sharp edge or a rough splinter, it can be sanded down. When extra tree branches get in the way of your house, they can be clipped off. When your bones develop spurs, however, what can be done? Bone spurs develop for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they contribute to pain or restrict mobility. When the bony bumps develop, many people wonder if they can be removed—and more importantly, should they be?

Bone spurs are simply extra bone tissue forming a bump. Spurs can be small, big, round, pointy, harmless, or painful, depending on where they develop and what caused them. They form when your body lays down extra hard tissue in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress on a particular area, like your heels, for an extended period of time.

Like many other things in your body, bone spurs certainly can be removed if it’s needed. Depending on its location, the bony bump can be removed easily or can take time and effort to surgically cut away. On your lower limbs, removing a spur usually isn’t difficult. The important question, then, isn’t if it can be done, but should it?

Your bone spur may not need to be removed at all. Spurs themselves are not necessarily a problem. Many people develop the bony bumps without ever realizing it, only discovering them when they’re noticed in an X-ray taken for other reasons. Those bumps don’t cause pain and aren’t in the way. You can continue your normal life and regular activities with spurs still there.

However, if a bone spur impinges on a nerve or rubs against soft tissues like muscles or tendons, it can cause serious pain. Growths in joints that restrict motion are problematic as well. When a bone spur is causing pain, limiting your mobility, or generally making your life difficult, it’s possible you should have the bump removed.

Any surgery is a big treatment and shouldn’t be taken lightly, so if you’re concerned about a problematic spur, let our experts at Gulf South Foot & Ankle, LLC help you determine if a removal is right for you. Don’t just wait and wonder is something can be done for your pain. Contact us today for more information or a consultation about spur care. Just call (504) 708-4810 for our Metairie office or (985) 809-1464 for our office in Covington.