Bone spur
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Bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, are bony projections that form along joints. Bone spurs form due to the body's increase of a damaged (usually due to arthritis) joint's surface area in a futile attempt to improve weight distribution. However, they usually limit joint movement and typically cause pain.
Bone spurs form naturally on the spine as a person ages and are a sign of degeneration in the spine. In this case the spurs are not the source of back pains, but instead a common symptom of the problem.
Spurs can also appear on the feet, either along toes or the heel.
External links
- Bone spurs (osteophytes) and back pain (http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/spurs/spurs01.html)
- Bone Spur (http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/arthritis/g/bonespur.htm)