If you’re dealing with pain or weakness in your shoulder region, especially if symptoms worsen during specific movements, you could be dealing with the fallout of a bone spur. A bone spur, also medically known as an osteophyte, is a small bony overgrowth that irritates nearby soft tissues, leading to inflammation, swelling and other uncomfortable symptoms. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why bone spurs develop and discuss some treatment options for getting rid of them.
Bone Spurs In The Shoulder
Bone spurs are not a problem that are isolated to the shoulder joint, but they can be more noticeable in this area of your body because your shoulder is a very mobile joint. If any of this movement is impeded as a result of bone spur formation, you’ll begin to notice symptoms.
Bone spurs in the shoulder region can develop for a few different reasons, but oftentimes they occur in response to injury or trauma to the area. New bone oftentimes forms in response to bone damage, and if this bone doesn’t growl as expected, bony prominences or fragments can develop and irritate the nearby soft tissues. The same process can also occur as your body works to replace bone that has deteriorated as a result of natural aging or arthritic degeneration.
Aside from these direct causes, other factors can affect a person’s risk of developing bone spurs in the shoulder. Some of the factors that increase a person’s risk of bone spur formation include being overweight, living an inactive lifestyle and having a family history of shoulder osteoarthritis.
Not all bone spurs will present with symptoms, but larger bone spurs typically lead to symptoms such as:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Decreased range of motion
- Tenderness
- Tingling sensation
If you’re dealing with any of these symptoms, or your symptoms have progressively gotten worse, it is time to consult with your primary care physician or a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway.
Getting Rid Of Shoulder Bone Spurs
If you are dealing with shoulder symptoms and believe that bone spurs could be in play, consult with a professional for a medical evaluation. During a standard evaluation, Dr. Holloway will ask his patients about their symptoms, review their medical history and have the patient perform some simple movements. He’ll watch how the body responds to these movements during the course of his physical evaluation, and oftentimes he can come up with a diagnosis through this process alone. However, if he wants to confirm his suspicions or view the area in greater detail, an X-ray or MRI may be ordered.
If bone spurs are confirmed, Dr. Holloway will walk you through a standard course of care. Like many of the more mild shoulder issues, treatment typically begins with a combination of conservative techniques and progresses to more hands-on care if expected results are not being achieved. The most common treatment option for shoulder bone spurs is physical therapy.
Physical therapy helps your body once again get used to normal movements while also strengthening nearby structures to take stress off the affected area. This can help to calm localized inflammation and contribute to more comfortable movement. PT won’t cause the bone spur to recede, but it may resolve symptoms, and for many patients that is good enough.
For best results, physical therapy is oftentimes paired with complementary techniques like activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications, posture improvement, and hot/cold therapy. Many patients notice a reduction or complete alleviation of symptoms when conservative methods are regularly pursued for a number of weeks.
If conservative treatment isn’t producing ideal results, more hands-on care may be warranted. In these situations, your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid injection combined with the previously listed conservative options, or they may recommend a minimally invasive debridement procedure. During the procedure, tiny incisions are made to access the shoulder area and carefully remove the bony fragments. The procedure is highly successful, but in order to reduce the likelihood of recurrence or limited range of motion after the procedure, the patient will be asked to pursue many of the above conservative treatments in the weeks that follow their operation, with physical therapy being the main course of care. Many patients can get back to a pre-injury level of strength and function in their shoulder by three months post-op.
Don’t let a shoulder spur progressively worsen your shoulder function. Instead, proactively treat the problem and restore normal movement in your shoulder joint. Dr. Holloway would be more than happy to help with this process. Give Dr. Holloway and his team a call today at (865) 410-7887 for more information.
