Ms X, 65, went to see a doctor for her knee pain. Through X-rays, the doctor found that she has developed some bone spurs at the knee joint. Ms Chan was led to believe that her pain comes from the spurs. She readily believed so because in her mind, they are similar to thorns of roses, piercing through the flesh and causing pain. Therefore, she agreed with the doctor’s suggestion to get rid of the spurs, thinking that this would get rid of the pain as well. This is a common misconception.
Bone spurs are known medically as osteophyte. They are bony outgrowths developed around a degenerated joint and can be easily detected by X-rays. When a joint in the body is injured and NOT taken cared of, it doesn’t move properly as well as cause dysfunction to the soft tissue surrounding the joint. As the cartilage covering the joint surfaces experiences wear and tear, the underlying bone ends are exposed and grind against each other. This results in joint inflammation and pain. As this goes on, the body has no choice but to try to protect the joint from further wear and tear by developing bony outgrowths around it – AKA spurs. THE SPURS ARE TRYING TO PROTECT/STABLIZE YOUR JOINTS!
Many people would associate the word “spur” with sharp objects; but in reality, bone spurs are not sharp and won’t pierce through the flesh. The pain in a degenerated joint is not caused by the bone spur. Most bone spurs do not require any treatment. They do not need to be removed surgically, nor are there any drugs to “dissolve” it. Its not the problem. Gonstead Chiropractic helps you find out what is the real cause of your pains.