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Bone spurs are the bony projections that happen when two bones meet. When these bone spurs occur in your shoulder, it leads to pain in the shoulder, back, arm, and neck. Bone spurs of the shoulder are called osteophytes, and one of the main causes behind their occurrence is osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis. 

Bone spurs are smooth and hard bumps of extra bones and mostly pop up in joints. Most of the time they do not cause any problem, but whenever they rub against other bones or put pressure on the nerves, it causes pain and stiffness.

Causes of bone spurs

Bone spurs are commonly caused by damage in joints because of osteoarthritis or degenerative joint diseases. With increasing age, the cushioning between the bones and joints starts wearing down, which can lead to bone spurs. Conditions such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus can also cause damage to your joints. 

Bone spurs also form after any injury to the tendon or joint. If your body thinks that your bone is damaged, it tries to fix it by adding extra bone to the injured area, thus leading to the formation of extra bony growths or bone spurs.

Some other causes of bone spurs are:

• Diet
• Obesity
• Overusing
• Spinal stenosis
• Inborn bone issues

Symptoms

You will not know that you have a bone spur until you do an X-ray for any other condition. The spurs generally show symptoms when they put pressure on the nerves or any other structures of your body. You will experience symptoms such as:

• Pain in the joint that is affected
• Pain while trying to move the affected joint
• Weakness in arms or legs 
• Muscles cramps
• Bumps under your skin

Your symptoms start worsening if you exercise or try moving the joint affected. A bone spur can also break off and get stuck in the joint lining. This is known as a loose body, where it locks the joint and it becomes hard to move it.

Diagnosis of bone spurs

Mostly, bone spurs are evaluated by a regular doctor, who will more likely refer you to an orthopedic doctor or a rheumatologist. They might also ask for an X-ray to better examine the bone spur. Some of the other tests that your doctor may make use of for diagnosing bone spurs are: 

• CT (computed tomography) scan, which is a powerful X-ray that helps in taking detailed pictures of the inside of your body.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), uses strong magnets and radio waves to take pictures of the structures and organs inside the body.
• Electroconductive tests, measure how rapidly your nerves are sending electrical signals. They also show the damage that bone spurs have caused to the nerves present in the spinal canal.

Treatment of bone spurs

To get relief from the pain and reduce swelling, one can take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as:

• Acetaminophen
• Ibuprofen
• Naproxen sodium

However, these medications can lead to some side effects in case you take them in large doses or for a longer period. 

Some of the other approaches that can help are:

• Enough rest
• Steroid shots
• Physical therapy

If all of these treatments do not help or the bone spurs start affecting the movement, you might require surgery to remove the extra bone.

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