Four misunderstandings about "bone spurs"

Many elderly people have joint pain and go to the hospital for examination. The X-rays often describe "bone hyperplasia", that is, bone spurs. In clinical practice, we often encounter misunderstandings about bone spurs. Let me explain them to you.

1. Bone spurs are not entirely a bad thing. They are more of a compensatory reaction to the instability of our joints. It can be simply understood that our joints are unstable, and through some compensatory mechanisms (bleeding, organization, calcification, etc. of the ligament attachment points, bone spurs are formed). In layman's terms, it can also be understood that bone spurs are used to tighten the loose ligaments or increase the force-bearing area to achieve a relatively stable state.

At the same time, bone spurs in certain parts of the body are not the culprits of symptoms. For example, there is no necessary correlation between plantar pain and plantar bone spurs (more often plantar fasciitis). So bone spurs cannot be blamed for all pain.

2. Some people think that if they have bone spurs or aging joints, they should exercise less and rest. In fact, this is also incorrect. I have always said that we should "do what we should do and don't do what we shouldn't do." "Don't do" means don't do those excessive load movements, such as squatting, climbing stairs, etc. "Do" means to actively do some moderate exercise, and promote aerobic exercise, including walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc. At the same time, it is also recommended to do some moderate weight-bearing and resistance strength training.

3. Currently, no research has shown that there is a drug that can eliminate "bone spurs". At the same time, it is not recommended to perform some operations to simply remove bone spurs. Of course, it does not mean that the more bone spurs, the better. If the bone spurs in certain parts have symptoms such as nerve compression, surgical treatment is necessary. However, surgery is not just about removing bone spurs, but more about restoring stability. For example, lumbar decompression fusion or joint replacement.

4. Does calcium supplementation stop when bone spurs grow? Will the more you supplement, the bigger the bone spurs will become? In fact, "degenerative osteoarthritis" and "osteoporosis" can be "co-prevented and co-treated": if you have bone spurs, you can supplement calcium, and it is recommended to supplement calcium.

To sum up, if you see bone spurs on the X-ray, don't worry too much. At the same time, give yourself a reminder: the process of joint degeneration has begun, and you should actively exercise, lose weight, delay the aging process, improve symptoms, and improve your quality of life.