Bone Spur on Side of the Foot: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Risk Factors

A bone spur on the side of the foot, also known as an osteophyte, is basically an abnormal growth of extra bone on the side of the foot area. This occurs when the body tries to repair a worn out bone or joint of the foot. Bone spur on side of the foot is a fairly common orthopedic condition.

The occurrence of a bone spur is due to the body’s natural mechanism to build an extra bone in an area which is typically worn out. Such wearing out of bone may occur due to-

• When abnormal pressure is being placed on the side of the foot for quite a long time.
• Wearing out of bones may occur due to some form of injury.
• Degenerative bone disorders like arthritis may also cause bone spurs on side of the foot.

There may be various risk factors for developing bone spur on side of the foot. It should be remembered that having a risk factor does not necessarily mean that a person is bound to have a bone spur on the foot. Some factors include-

• If a person wears extremely tight shoes.
• If a person has some form of infection under the skin of the foot.
• Increased age. This is because as a person grows older his bone may wear out easily.
• A person having excessive body weight may be at risk of developing bone spur on the foot.
• A person having charcoal foot may also have a bone spur on side of the foot. A charcoal foot is a condition where the bones in the foot become weak due to damage to the nerves surrounding it.

At times it is seen that bone spur on side of foot do not cause any symptomatic pain. However, the occurrence of some bone spurs can be severely painful. Some of the symptoms of bone spur on side of foot include-

• The patient may experience intense pain on the foot surface.
• Soreness on the top surface of the foot may be particularly visible.
• The patient may be unable to move the foot much.
• The patient with bone spur on side of foot may notice a form of redness and swelling caused due to inflammation on the surface of the foot.
• The patient may feel numbness and stiffness on the surface of the foot.
• The patient may find it particularly difficult to walk normally due to pain.

It should be noted that the treatment options may be considered only when the bone spur on side of foot cause problems and symptomatic pain. In case only a noticeable lump is found on the surface of the foot without any other discomforting symptoms, the condition may be usually left alone. In case severe pain is experienced by the patient-

• Medications may be given to provide relief from the foot pain caused by bone spur. Such medicines are usually anti-inflammatory. It should be noted that these medications do not contain steroids.
• The patient may be advised to take proper rest and avoid a lot of movements when the foot pain is caused by bone spur. Providing rest will help in reducing the inflammation.
• The patient may be asked to do some exercises shown by a healthcare professional. The exercises for bone spur on side of foot will relieve the inflammation.
• A combination of physiotherapy may be advised at times for bone spur on side of foot. In case the patient does not get relief from the pain, physiotherapy may provide some form of help.
• Surgery may be recommended in case the patient does not respond to non-surgical ways.

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Also Read:

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• Are Bone Spurs Genetic?
• What is a Bone Spur in the Knee?
• Can Bone Spurs On The Spine Be Removed?