Do Bone Spurs Always Need Surgery?

You may have noticed a bump on the top of your foot or the back of your heel bone and wondered what it is – and if it’s anything to worry about. 

It’s likely a bone spur, which is often found in the foot but can also develop in the hip, back, spine, shoulder or knee. 

Bone spurs are small projections of bone that develop along the edge where two or more bones meet, or where a tendon or ligament attach to a bone. 

When your bones are under repetitive stress, new bone can form in response. Your body responds to joint deterioration and cartilage loss by trying to stabilize the joint by creating more bone. These newly formed bone protrusions are generally smooth and stay attached to the bone, but occasionally can break off and can get stuck in a joint, causing a locking sensation. 

Bone spurs also can form where a tendon attaches to a bone, primarily because of tendon degeneration, like where the Achilles tendon attaches to the back of the heel bone.  

Why Do Bone Spurs Form? 

Contributing factors that cause bone spurs to form include: 

● Aging. The normal aging process stresses tendons and ligaments. Similarly, wear and tear to cartilage can cause osteoarthritis, the primary condition linked to bone spur development.

● Prolonged joint stress and impact. This is frequently seen in runners and athletes who jump in their sport, putting repetitive stress on joints and strains on tendons.

● Heredity. Inherited physical conditions can predispose you to bone spur development.

● Injury. Most frequently, this is caused by a sports-related injury or injury from motor vehicle accidents or falls.

● Skeletal problems. This can be the result of poor posture, inadequate shoe support or a shift in gait. 

Bone Spurs Are Painful – Or Not

One misconception associated with bone spurs is that they always cause pain. In fact, many times a bone spur will go undiscovered until seen on an X-ray for a different issue. Even if a bump is visible, the spur is often asymptomatic. 

In some instances, bone spurs can cause pain. If there’s a bone spur at the top of the foot, the pressure from shoes — especially if the top of the shoe is not flexible or soft — can be painful. Bone spurs at the back of the heel can also be painful. 

Treating Bone Spurs 

Treatment focuses on relieving discomfort and tackling the underlying cause of the bone spurs. Recommendations might include: 

● Relieving stress on the affected joint by reducing activity or impact.

● Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

● Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation of tissue next to the spur (not recommended for tendon-related spurs).

● Exercise or physical therapy to strengthen and stretch surrounding muscles and improve range of motion.  

In most instances, removing the spur is not required to alleviate the discomfort, but when necessary, a surgical solution called an osteophytectomy (bone to bone connection) or exostectomy (tendon to bone connection) may be performed. This is when a small incision is made and the bone spur is shaved down or cut off. This procedure is frequently done in conjunction with other medical procedures aimed toward correcting the originating cause. 

Preventing Bone Spurs 

Because bone spurs are usually the byproduct of bigger issues, trying to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis and injury from exercise is a good place to start. Consider: 

● Wearing shoes with a good arch support and enough cushion to pad each step. Thicker socks can prevent shoes from rubbing and irritation. Avoid tight-fitting shoes.

● Eating a healthy diet rich in bone-protecting calcium and vitamin D, and inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids.

● Doing lower-impact exercise, such as yoga, swimming and biking.

● Keeping your weight within healthy BMI levels. The stress on your joints just from walking amounts to one-and-a-half times your total body weight, and it increases to four or five times your body weight when you run or jump. Losing weight reduces the stress on your joints, which cuts your risk of developing bone spurs. 

If your bone spur causes discomfort or begins to affect your quality of your life, see an orthopedic food and ankle specialist to determine the best steps to get relief.

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Bone Spur Repair: What to Expect at Home

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Your Recovery

A bone spur repair is surgery to remove a bone spur, a bony growth that forms on normal bone. Your doctor made one or more small cuts called incisions near the bone spur. Then the doctor used small tools to remove the piece of bone. Your surgery may have been done using a few small incisions and a lighted viewing tube called an arthroscope (arthroscopic surgery). Or the doctor may have made one larger incision (open surgery).

You may feel tired for several days after bone spur surgery. The surgery area may be swollen. And you may notice that your skin is a different color near the incisions. This is normal and will start to go away in a few days.

Your recovery will depend on where the bone spur was and the type of surgery you had. It may take several days to a few weeks for you to feel better. You may have to limit your activity until your strength and movement are back to normal.

This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Activity

• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
• Stay active. Talk to your doctor about what you can do and about any limits on your normal routine.
• Depending where on your body you had your bone spur surgery, you may need to use a sling, a brace, or crutches. Follow your doctor’s directions for using them.
• The amount of time off you will need depends on the area and extent of your surgery and the type of work you do. If you have a desk job, you may be able to return to work or your normal routine in a few days. If you lift heavy objects, or do other labor, it may be several weeks or longer before you can return to work.
• Ask your doctor when you can take a shower. You may wash the incisions with regular soap and water.
• Ask your doctor when you can drive again.

Diet

• You can eat your normal diet. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.
• You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery. This is common. Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. Take a fiber supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. The doctor will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.

Incision care

• If you have dressings over the cuts the doctor made (incisions), keep them clean and dry. You may remove them when your doctor tells you to.
• If your incisions are open to the air, keep the area clean and dry.
• If you have strips of tape on the incisions the doctor made, leave the tape on for a week or until it falls off, unless your doctor gave you other instructions.

Ice

• Put ice or a cold pack on your incisions for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It’s also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You passed out (lost consciousness).
• You have chest pain, are short of breath, or you cough up blood.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
• You are sick to your stomach or cannot drink fluids.
• You have loose stitches, or your incision comes open.
• You have signs of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
  • Pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
  • Redness or swelling in your leg.
• You have signs of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
  • Red streaks leading from the incision.
  • Pus draining from the incision.
  • A fever.
• You bleed through your bandage.

Watch closely for any changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any problems.

Where can you learn more?

Go to https://www. healthwise.net/patientEd

Enter S791 in the search box to learn more about “Bone Spur Repair: What to Expect at Home”.

Removal of heel spurs in the network of clinics Poliklinika.ru, remove heel spurs in Moscow

Specialization of the doctorAllergistAndrologistAnesthetistPediatrician house callPaediatrician house callGastroenterologistHematologistGynecologistBreastfeedingDermatologistPediatric allergologistPediatric gastroenterologistPediatric gynecologistPediatric dermatologistPediatric infectious disease specialistPediatric cardiologistPediatric ENT specialistPediatric chiropractorPediatric massagePediatric neurologistPediatric neurologist phrologistPediatric oncologistPediatric osteopathPediatric ophthalmologistPediatric psychiatristPediatric traumatologistPediatric urologistPediatric surgeonPediatric endocrinologistPediatric departmentDietologistImmunologistInfectionistHeadache roomCardiologistCosmetologistENT doctor (otolaryngologist)MammologistManual therapistMassageNarcologistNeurologistNeurologistNephrologistOncologistOperational unitOsteopathOt department of pediatrics m. TherapistTraumatologist-orthopedistTrichologistUltrasound (ultrasound examination)UrologistPhysiotherapistPhlebologistSurgeonEndocrinologistAesthetic gynecologyClinics. Smolensk. Taganskaya. Street 1905 years. Red Gates. AvtozavodskayaPharmacy. Glades. Sukharevskaya. st. Academician Yangelam. Frunzenskaya Zelenograd

Makarenko Tatyana Nikolaevna

Podiatrist, Dermatovenereologist

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Shvedova Natalia Alexandrovna

endocrinologist, ultrasound doctor

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m. Street 1905

Oleg Shamilevich Kesaev

oncologist, Ph.D.

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Belkina Tatyana Vilenovna

therapist, hematologist, PhD, online consultations

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m. Sukharevskaya

Shapovalova Valeria Olegovna

cosmetologist, dermatologist, trichologist

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Vishneva Marina Valerievna

rheumatologist

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m. Sukharevskaya

Nikitina Olga Ivanovna

general practitioner, gastroenterologist, Ph.D.

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m. Street 1905 Goda

Yury Alexandrovich Gusev

ophthalmic surgeon, head of the Ophthalmology department, MD

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m. Sukharevskaya

Chervony Vladislav Viktorovich

urologist

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Molchanov Sergey Gennadievich

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Heel spur treatment in St. Petersburg clinic – prices for heel spur removal surgery

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Heel spur is an awl-like formation on the calcaneus. As it grows, it begins to cause severe pain and discomfort when walking. After the diagnosis is made, conservative treatment is usually used, but if within six months it does not give the desired results, then they proceed to the surgical removal of heel spurs.

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Causes of occurrence Symptoms of the disease Methods of diagnosis Methods of treatment

Causes

Heel spur occurs due to a chronic inflammatory process that provokes pathological growth of bone tissue.

At risk are people over forty years old, more often women. Particularly susceptible to pathology are people with obesity, flat feet, athletes, as well as those who spend a lot of time on their feet.

In addition, the development of the disease is facilitated by wearing uncomfortable shoes, foot injuries, and various diseases of the vessels of the lower extremities.

Symptoms

Heel spur symptoms usually occur after a hard day on your feet. Patients complain of severe heel pain, the intensity of which depends not so much on the stage of the disease as on the location of the nerve endings. After a period of rest, the pain disappears, but reappears after exercise.

Without proper treatment, pain in the foot will occur even with the slightest movements, reducing performance and interfering with normal life.

Often, people with heel spurs (in medicine, the disease is called “plantar fasciitis”) are characterized by a specific gait based on socks. So patients consciously or unconsciously try to prevent pain when walking. As a result of incorrect gait, other complications associated with the joints occur.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis should only be carried out by a qualified specialist, because with self-diagnosis, there was a chance to confuse this pathology with another disease of the foot.

First, the doctor will collect the patient’s complaints and study the medical history. Then, to clarify the diagnosis, the patient will be sent for instrumental and laboratory studies, including a biochemical blood test and x-rays.

There are contraindications. Specialist consultation is required.

Heel spur treatment

In modern medicine, there are many ways to remove heel spurs. The specific technique is selected by the doctor depending on the degree of bone damage.

Heel spur removal techniques:

• open operation;
• laser heel spur removal;
• endoscopy;
• microsurgery;
• heel spur shock wave therapy.

At the SM-Clinic surgery center in St. Petersburg, endoscopic heel spur removal is predominantly used, as it is less traumatic and safe, and, unlike microsurgery, is completely controlled by a doctor using a special optical system. Access to the operated area is through two small punctures on the heel.

Heel spurs cause serious discomfort and reduce the quality of life. However, modern surgery allows you to get rid of this pathology in a short time and without complications. Make an appointment at the SM-Clinic to learn more about the procedure.

Surgeon’s consultation on surgery (ACTION)*	0	–
Online opinion of the doctor on the operation (ACTION)	0	–
Arthroplasty of the foot and toes (calcaneal spur treatment) I cat. difficulty	from 7700	–

* You can read more about the conditions here – Treatment on credit or installments

Preliminary cost. The exact cost of the operation can only be determined by the surgeon during a free consultation.

FAQ

In this pathology, a protrusion appears on the plantar part of the calcaneus, as a result of which the patient experiences pain. The growth appears at the site where the bone is attached to the ligaments and connective tissue.

The cause of the disease is inflammation of the plantar fascia. This is the element that connects the calcaneus and toes to each other. The spur causes severe pain when stepping on the heel, making it difficult for the patient to move. Quite often, there are no external changes and the problem is detected only with the help of x-rays.

In the early stages, the pathology proceeds without a pronounced clinical picture. Then, as the formation grows, pain appears in the heel. They are most intense in the morning, immediately after waking up, and gradually decrease during the day. But in the evening hours the pain returns and intensifies.

Pain when walking causes the patient to change gait and limp. Periods of severe pain are replaced by remission, when the pain subsides for a while, but then everything starts again.

The spur cannot dissolve by itself, but the pain may subside after a while. However, there is no need to hope that everything will go away on its own. The disease does not disappear anywhere, just a temporary remission occurs. Sooner or later the pain will return. Efficiency and quality of life continues to decline due to the discomfort experienced by the patient. Therefore, there is no need to delay treatment and suffer. When the first suspicious symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor and undergo a course of treatment.

Specialists in this field 27 doctors

Leading doctors 8 doctors

Giniyatov Anvar Rinatovich

Sports doctor, orthopedic traumatologist. Traumatologist of the volleyball club “Zenith”

Work experience: 8 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

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Kozlov Igor Andreevich

Tra vmatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 5 years

Marshal Zakharov, 20

m. Leninsky pr-t

Vyborgskoe shosse, 17

metro Prosveshcheniya

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Dergulev Igor Olegovich

Orthopedic traumatologist

Work experience: 11 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

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Andrey Skulkin

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 31 years

Vyborgskoe shosse, 17

metro Prosveshcheniya

0003 Evgeny Ivanovich Belousov

Orthopedic traumatologist

Work experience: 33 years

Udarnikov, 19

Ladozhskaya metro station

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90 008 Urbanovich Sergey Ivanovich

Traumatologist, burn surgeon

Work experience: 12 years

Vyborgskoe shosse, 17

Prosveshcheniya metro station

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Alexey Danilkin

Traumatologist, pediatric surgeon

Work experience: 15 years

Udarnikov, 19

Ladozhskaya metro station

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Garifulin Marat Sagitovich

Orthopedic traumatologist

Work experience: 19 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

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+19 doctors

Other doctors 19 doctors

Angelcheva Tatyana Avramovna

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 8 years

Dybenko, 13k4

m. Dybenko street

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Antonov Ilya Alexandrovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 9 years

Marshala Zakharova, 20

Leninsky Prospect metro station

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Borisova Olga Mikhailovna

Pediatric surgeon

Work experience: 16 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

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Gvozdev Maksim Alexandrovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 11 years

Vyborg highway, 17

Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro station

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Grebenyuk Mikhail Viktorovich

Orthopedist-traumatologist

Work experience: 18 years

Vyborg highway, 17

Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro station

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Drach Elvis Kwaku

Orthopedic traumatologist

Work experience: 7 years

Vyborgskoe shosse, 17

Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro station

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Ezhovsky Vyacheslav Yurievich

Traumatologist-orthopedist. Doctor of the highest category.

Work experience: 23 years

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

Kupchino metro station

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Islamov Magomedgadzhi Magomedhabibovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 7 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

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Karapetyan Sergey Vazgenovich

Orthopedist-traumatologist, podologist

Work experience: 15 years

Dunaysky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

9000 2 m. Kupchino

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Kikaev Adlan Olkhozurovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 9years

Udarnikov, 19

Ladozhskaya metro station

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Kovalenko-Klychkova Nadezhda Alexandrovna

Traumatologist-orthopedist. Operating pediatric orthopedist. Doctor of the first category. Candidate of Medical Sciences.

Work experience: 13 years

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

Kupchino metro station

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Kolyadin Maxim Alexandrovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 15 years

Dunaisky, 47

Dunayskaya metro station

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

Kupchino metro station

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Kustikov Anton Alexandrovich

Traumatologist, pediatric surgeon

Work experience: 7 years

Marshala Zakharova, 20

Leninsky Prospect metro station

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Mitin Andrey Viktorovich

Orthopedic traumatologist, pediatric surgeon, pediatric urologist

Work experience: 24 years

Udarnikov, 19

Ladozhskaya metro station

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Mikhailov Alexander Pavlovich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 5 years

Vyborgskoe shosse, 17

Prospekt Prosveshcheniya metro station

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

metro Kupchino

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Panfilov Artyom Igorevich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 10 years

Marshala Zakharova, 20

Leninsky Prospect metro station

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Petrov Artem Viktorovich

Orthopedist-traumatologist

Work experience: 10 years
Polukhin Aleksey Alekseevich

Traumatologist-orthopedist

Work experience: 4 years

Malaya Balkanskaya, 23

m.