Bone spurs are also called as osteophytes. They are bony projections that form along the body joints. A bone spur is a bony growth that is formed on normal bone. Many people think that bone spur is a sharp object then they think of the bone spur. But in simple words, bone spur is just an extra bone and generally smooth. However, it is sharp enough to cause wear and tear. Bone spur also produce pain when it is rubbed on other bone surface or just pressed manually.
They can occur anywhere in the body but most common sites include hips, knees, feet, spine, hands and shoulders. On other hand, bone spurs are formed naturally on the back of the spine as you grow older and they are many times considered as degeneration in the spinal bone. Many times bone spurs can impinge on the nerves that can cause numbness of the organ that is supplied by that particular nerve.
Causes of Bone Spurs
- Normal as in aging process
- Physiological change as in degeneration
- Altered calcification of the bone in the body
- As a result of pressure on the bones such as dancing, racing, jogging, weight lifting etc
- Obesity or overweight
- Over usage of the joints of the body as in playing certain games like basketball and athletes or sportsperson of throwing sports like shot puts. These people are susceptible to develop shoulder bone spurs.
Home remedies and Natural Remedies for Bone Spurs
The first home remedy for bone spurs is taking an ice pack and applying it on the swollen bone spur area 4-5 times in a day. If this simple technique fails, you can apply heating pads in a same fashion.
One of the most trusted home remedies for bone spurs is the use of curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric. It is very effective for healing bone spur. One should take about 500mg to 1gm of curcumin, thrice a day on an empty stomach. Continue this remedy for about two months.
Indulge the affected area in alternate hot and cold footbaths. Many times this home remedy for bone spurs alone works.
You can also take flaxseed hotpack and then apply it to the body area that is affected by bone spur. It will help a lot in relieving pain. This is also a good bone spurs cure.
One should clean his or her body by doing light exercises such as Yoga and Pranayama.
