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Bone Spurs

Smooth, bony growths along the edges of joints, most often from osteoarthritis and aging. Many cause no symptoms at all and need no treatment — but spurs in the spine can press on nerves, and a few warning signs need urgent care.

What is a bone spur?

Bone spurs, or osteophytes, are extra growths of bone that look like smooth lumps on the outside of a bone. They are common and often cause no problems at all (Cleveland Clinic). They tend to form where bones take a lot of stress, at joints, and where tendons or ligaments attach to bone. Many form as your body tries to repair damaged tissue — a kind of “bony scar” (Cleveland Clinic).

What causes them?

What raises the risk: the risk factors for osteoarthritis include aging, being overweight, a past joint injury or surgery, overuse from repetitive movements, and a family history of osteoarthritis (NIAMS). For the neck, AAOS also names genetics, smoking, and jobs with lots of repetitive neck motion and overhead work (AAOS OrthoInfo).

Where do they form?

Symptoms

It is common to have bone spurs without knowing it (Cleveland Clinic). When they do cause symptoms, you may notice:

Spurs in the spine can press on nerves or the spinal cord. Call 911 or go to the emergency department now for:

Contact your provider right away — the same day, or urgent care — for new or worsening:

These can be signs of spinal cord compression in the neck (cervical spondylotic myelopathy), which can develop slowly and go unnoticed for a long time, and which progresses over time (AAOS OrthoInfo). People with progressive symptoms like these are more likely to be helped by surgery (AAOS OrthoInfo). Don’t drive yourself to the emergency department (NHS), and don’t wait for a chiropractic, acupuncture or massage appointment for any of these signs.

How are bone spurs diagnosed?

Bone spurs show up on X-rays, and they are often found by surprise on an X-ray taken for another reason. If you have symptoms, your provider will examine you and may order X-rays, a CT scan or an MRI. If you have nerve symptoms, tests such as electromyography (EMG) or a nerve conduction study can show which nerves are affected (Cleveland Clinic, AAOS OrthoInfo).

The good news: many need no treatment

Most bone spurs don’t need any treatment. Spurs don’t go away unless a surgeon removes them, but most people never need surgery; treatment aims to ease pain and stiffness around the spur (Cleveland Clinic). Even with cervical spondylosis, most symptoms improve with non-surgical treatment (MedlinePlus).

When to see a doctor: if pain or stiffness from a spur becomes severe or hard to manage (Cleveland Clinic); if joint symptoms bother you or get worse (MedlinePlus); or if neck symptoms get worse or you develop new symptoms (MedlinePlus). Bone spurs in the neck can also be an unsuspected cause of chronic coughing, choking or trouble swallowing (Cleveland Clinic) — mention these to your provider.

Side by side

Six approaches compared

For every condition we look at the same six approaches: what each involves, what it typically costs, and what a patient can realistically expect.

ApproachWhat it involves Estimated costWhat to expect
Conventional medicine (AMA) Rest from painful activity, ice or heat, over-the-counter pain relievers, physical therapy and weight loss first; cortisone injections if needed; surgery to remove a spur or free a pinched nerve only for serious symptoms. Physical therapy about $50–$350+ a session without insurance ($10–$75 copay with); Medicare Part B covers medically necessary PT. A plain X-ray is often $50–$500+ without insurance. Most spurs need no treatment, and most neck symptoms improve without surgery. Treatment eases symptoms but doesn’t make a spur go away; only surgery removes one.
Chiropractic Spinal manipulation or gentler mobilization, often with soft-tissue work, for neck or back pain — after spinal cord compression has been ruled out. About $50–$200 a visit without insurance; first evaluations $100–$250. Medicare Part B covers spinal adjustment for subluxation (20% coinsurance). Modest help for neck and low back pain in general, and may ease some lumbar stenosis pain. It can’t remove a spur. Never for spinal cord compression or badly pinched nerves.
Acupuncture A course of needle treatments for osteoarthritis, neck or back pain linked to spurs, alongside exercise and medical care. About $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90. May ease knee osteoarthritis and back or neck pain, with relief similar to NSAIDs in reviews; long-term success for spinal stenosis isn’t proven. It doesn’t remove spurs.
Herbal medicine No herb or supplement dissolves a bone spur. Turmeric, glucosamine or capsaicin cream are sometimes tried for osteoarthritis pain. Cost estimate being researched. Evidence is limited or mixed and comes from osteoarthritis, not spurs. Watch for interactions, especially with blood thinners, and avoid products with hidden drugs.
Massage therapy Gentle soft-tissue work for tight, sore muscles around a stiff neck, back or joint. About $60–$120 for 45–60 minutes with a private therapist, or $50–$90 at clinics, gyms and spas. Short-term relief for neck, shoulder, low back and knee osteoarthritis pain in limited studies. It doesn’t change the spur or the arthritis behind it.
MBHA Wellness Coach Staying active with low-impact exercise, a healthy weight, posture and desk setup, supportive footwear, warming up, and protecting joints at work and play. Cost estimate being researched. Supports — never replaces — medical care. These habits ease joint stress and may slow wear, but can’t remove existing spurs.

Approach 1 of 6

Conventional medicine (AMA)

Treatment depends on where the spur is and what it’s doing. If it causes no symptoms, it usually needs no treatment at all (Cleveland Clinic). Doctors usually start with simple, conservative care and move to stronger options only if needed.

1. Home care

2. Over-the-counter pain relievers

Over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen can ease pain and inflammation around a spur (Cleveland Clinic), and acetaminophen is often used for mild neck pain (AAOS OrthoInfo). NSAIDs must be used carefully: they can lead to gastritis, stomach ulcers and kidney problems (AAOS OrthoInfo). Talk with your provider before taking an NSAID regularly (MedlinePlus). We don’t list doses; ask your doctor or pharmacist what is safe for you.

3. Physical therapy

Physical therapy is usually the first nonsurgical treatment doctors recommend for arthritis of the neck. It uses exercises to relieve pain and to strengthen and stretch weak or strained muscles, sometimes with posture work or gentle traction; programs often last 6 to 8 weeks, two to three sessions a week (AAOS OrthoInfo). For lumbar stenosis, stretching, massage and core strengthening often help manage symptoms (AAOS OrthoInfo). Physical therapy can also improve strength, joint motion and balance with osteoarthritis; if it hasn’t helped after 6 to 12 weeks, it likely won’t (MedlinePlus).

4. Prescription medicines and injections

5. Surgery

Surgery is for spurs that cause serious complications or severe symptoms that affect daily life — to remove the spur or to make more room around a pinched nerve (Cleveland Clinic). For the neck, it isn’t commonly recommended unless a nerve is being pinched by a disc or bone, or the spinal cord is being compressed (AAOS OrthoInfo); spinal cord compression is generally treated with surgery (AAOS OrthoInfo). In the lower back, a laminectomy removes bone, bone spurs and thickened ligaments that are pressing on nerves (AAOS OrthoInfo, MedlinePlus); it is generally reserved for people whose pain and weakness seriously affect their quality of life (AAOS OrthoInfo). When spurs come with severe osteoarthritis of a hip or knee, joint repair or replacement may be considered (MedlinePlus).

What it costs

  • Physical therapy: about $50–$350 or more a session without insurance, or a $10–$75 copay or 10%–50% coinsurance with it (cost guide: CostHelper). Medicare Part B covers medically necessary outpatient PT when your provider certifies you need it; you pay 20% of the approved amount after the deductible (Medicare.gov).
  • X-ray: a simple X-ray without insurance is often about $50–$500 or more, and urgent-care or hospital visits cost more once exam and reading fees are added (cost guide: The Pricer).
  • CT, MRI, injections and surgery: MBHA cost estimate being researched.

Find a medical doctor in our directory

Approach 2 of 6

Chiropractic

Many people with stiff, achy necks and backs from spondylosis see a chiropractor. MedlinePlus lists spinal manipulation by a chiropractor, osteopathic provider or physical therapist among the options for cervical spondylosis, noting that sometimes a few visits help with neck pain (MedlinePlus). An adjustment can’t remove a bone spur — only surgery does that (Cleveland Clinic) — so the goal is pain relief and easier movement.

What the research says

The studies below are about neck pain, back pain and lumbar stenosis in general, not about bone spurs themselves.

  • Neck pain: spinal manipulation can help acute neck pain, and manipulation or mobilization may reduce chronic neck pain and improve function, though the studies were mostly small with inconsistent results (NCCIH).
  • Low back pain: manipulation may bring small improvements in pain and function; for chronic low back pain, short-term relief was similar to other recommended treatments such as exercise (NCCIH).
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis: AAOS says chiropractic manipulation is generally safe and can help with some of the pain, but to take care if you have osteoporosis or a herniated disc, because manipulation can worsen symptoms or cause other injuries (AAOS OrthoInfo).

Safety — especially for the neck

  • Never with spinal cord compression: AAOS says manipulation should never be used for spinal cord compression (cervical spondylotic myelopathy) (AAOS OrthoInfo).
  • Pinched nerves: people should not have chiropractic treatment on parts of the body affected by severely pinched nerves with numbness, tingling and weakness in the arms or legs, or by acute neck pain with signs of a pinched nerve (MedlinePlus).
  • Neck manipulation and stroke: neck manipulation has been linked to rare tears in neck arteries that can cause a stroke; experts disagree about whether manipulation causes them, but patients should be told about the risk (NCCIH).
  • Mild soreness, stiffness or headache is common and usually gone within 24 hours; serious problems are very rare (NCCIH).

MBHA suggests seeing a medical provider first if you have any nerve symptoms in your arms or legs, telling your chiropractor about them (MedlinePlus), and asking about gentler mobilization instead of neck manipulation.

What it costs

Find a chiropractor in our directory

Approach 3 of 6

Acupuncture

Acupuncture won’t remove a bone spur. What research there is looks at the pain that often comes with spurs — osteoarthritis, neck and back pain — so the evidence applies only by extension.

What the research says

  • Osteoarthritis: in a 2018 review, acupuncture relieved osteoarthritis pain (mostly of the knee) better than no treatment and better than sham acupuncture, though the gap over sham was smaller; the relief was comparable to NSAIDs. For hip osteoarthritis, two sham-controlled studies found little or no difference (NCCIH).
  • Back or neck pain: a 2018 review found acupuncture worked better than no treatment and than sham acupuncture, with relief comparable to NSAIDs. Benefits lasted a year after treatment for several pain conditions, but not for neck pain (NCCIH).
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis: AAOS says acupuncture can help some of the pain in less severe cases and can be very safe, but long-term success hasn’t been proven (AAOS OrthoInfo).
  • Guideline: the American College of Rheumatology and Arthritis Foundation conditionally recommend acupuncture for osteoarthritis of the knee, hip or hand (NCCIH).

In short: acupuncture may add some relief for arthritis-related pain, used alongside — not instead of — exercise and medical care.

Safety

Relatively few complications have been reported; problems have come from non-sterile needles and poor technique, and the FDA requires needles to be sterile and single-use (NCCIH). MBHA suggests telling your acupuncturist if you take a blood thinner, and not using acupuncture to delay care for any nerve warning signs.

What it costs

Published cash prices run about $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90 a visit (The Pricer). A course of several sessions adds up, so ask about package prices and check your insurance.

Find an acupuncturist in our directory

Approach 4 of 6

Herbal medicine

Can anything dissolve a bone spur?

No. Cleveland Clinic explains that you can’t dissolve a bone spur: it is bone, and no natural treatment or supplement dissolves bony tissue. Online claims about dissolving spurs may really be about easing the inflammation around them (Cleveland Clinic). You may see home remedies such as apple cider vinegar promoted for bone spurs; MBHA found no credible research showing that any of them shrink or remove a spur.

Supplements tried for osteoarthritis pain

Since most spurs come with osteoarthritis, some people try supplements studied for osteoarthritis. None of this research tests bone spurs directly.

  • Turmeric (curcumin): early evidence for curcumin taken by mouth for knee osteoarthritis is positive, but higher-quality studies are needed; it’s unclear whether curcumin ointment helps. Turmeric can upset the stomach, liver damage has been reported with highly absorbable curcumin products, and supplements may be unsafe in pregnancy (NCCIH).
  • Glucosamine and chondroitin: results for knee pain are conflicting — a major NIH-sponsored study found little or no benefit — and there isn’t enough evidence for other joints (NCCIH). They have been linked to a higher bleeding risk with warfarin, and glucosamine may raise blood sugar in some people (NCCIH).
  • Capsaicin cream, made from chili peppers and rubbed on the skin, is one of the products that may help osteoarthritis pain (MedlinePlus).

Products to be careful with

  • The FDA has warned about arthritis and pain supplements secretly tainted with prescription drugs that could cause side effects or harmful interactions (NCCIH).
  • Cat’s claw, sometimes promoted for joints, may interact with blood thinners, blood pressure medicines and immune-suppressing drugs, and may raise bleeding risk around surgery (NCCIH).

Before you take any herb or supplement, show it to your doctor or pharmacist — especially if you take a blood thinner or an NSAID, have diabetes or liver problems, are pregnant, or are planning surgery (NCCIH, NCCIH, NCCIH). We don’t list doses here, and no supplement should delay care for the nerve warning signs above.

Approach 5 of 6

Massage therapy

Massage can’t change a bone spur, but it may ease the tight, sore muscles around a stiff neck, back or joint. AAOS includes massage among the local therapies that may relieve neck arthritis symptoms (AAOS OrthoInfo), and physical therapy for lumbar stenosis often includes it (AAOS OrthoInfo).

What the research says

Safety

The risk appears low, but rare serious problems — a blood clot, nerve injury or broken bone — have been reported, some with vigorous deep-tissue massage or in older adults (NCCIH). Arthritis-stressed joints are sensitive, so choose a therapist familiar with osteoarthritis (NCCIH, MedlinePlus). MBHA suggests asking for gentle pressure, avoiding forceful work on the neck, and telling your therapist about any numbness, weakness or osteoporosis.

What it costs

  • About $60–$120 for 45–60 minutes with a private therapist, or $50–$90 at clinics, gyms and spas; massage schools sometimes offer discounts (CostHelper).

Find a massage therapist in our directory

Approach 6 of 6

MBHA Wellness Coach

You can’t entirely prevent bone spurs — many are a natural part of aging — but caring for your overall health may reduce or delay the wear behind them (Cleveland Clinic). An MBHA Wellness Coach can help you build these habits, alongside, never instead of, your medical care.

Stay active, the low-impact way

  • Even with bone spurs, try to stay active. Avoid movements that hurt and choose low-impact activities, such as walking instead of running (Cleveland Clinic).
  • Joint-friendly options include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, water exercise, dancing, light gardening and tai chi. Adults with arthritis are encouraged to aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity plus muscle-strengthening on 2 days, building up slowly — even 5 or 10 minutes at a time counts (CDC).
  • Strong muscles help carry your weight and take stress off bones and joints (Cleveland Clinic); keep the muscles around weight-bearing joints strong (MedlinePlus).
  • With spinal stenosis, many people find a stationary bike, or walking while leaning on a shopping cart, easier than standing upright (AAOS OrthoInfo).

Weight

Extra body weight stresses the joints (Cleveland Clinic). For adults with overweight, even a small loss — about 5% of body weight — can help reduce arthritis pain and disability (CDC).

Posture, ergonomics and joint protection

  • Good posture and ergonomics help prevent repetitive stress injuries, whether you stand, sit at a desk or repeat the same movements all day (Cleveland Clinic).
  • Neck pain from spondylosis can worsen when you look up or down for a long time or hold your neck in one position, as when driving or reading (AAOS OrthoInfo) — a coach can help you plan breaks and a better setup. If work stresses certain joints, adjusting your work area or tasks may help (MedlinePlus).
  • Avoiding joint injuries at work, in sports and from falls lowers the chance of getting osteoarthritis or making it worse (CDC).

Footwear and exercise habits

Properly fitting shoes reduce joint stress. When you exercise, wear good footwear, focus on proper technique, and always warm up and stretch (Cleveland Clinic).

Nutrition and smoking

Good nutrition helps keep tissues and bones strong as needs change with age (Cleveland Clinic), and smoking is clearly linked to more neck pain (AAOS OrthoInfo). A coach can help you take these on one small step at a time.

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This page is for education only and is not medical advice. Costs are typical U.S. ranges and estimates; yours will depend on your provider, location and insurance. Talk with your doctor before starting, stopping or combining any treatment. In an emergency, call 911. See our disclaimer.

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