Elbow Bone Spur
Generally an elbow bone spur is harmless and causes no pain, but in some cases an elbow bone spur can be painful and cause a lot of discomfort. An elbow bone spur is also called osteophytes, but simply put; it can be explained as a bone overgrowth in the elbow. It is fairly common in people who play sports which involve throwing, because of the elevated pressure which is placed on the elbow when throwing the ball. There are times when, the bones in our body also behave like the muscles. When you put a lot of pressure on your muscles and exercise, they grow larger and much thicker. The same theory can be applied for bones as well. When they are constantly pressurized, they also develop larger and thicker, resulting in an overgrowth. An elbow bone spur may occur as a result of your elbow bone trying to mend or heal itself after an injury.
Pain is generated by an elbow bone spur when it has grown large enough to put pressure on the surrounding tissues of the elbow or even when it compresses a nerve. It could also be painful when the overgrown bone rubs against another bone creating friction. In worse cases you may not even be able to straighten your arm. Pain caused by an elbow bone spur may radiate throughout your arm and travel toward your shoulder blades giving it a throbbing sensation.
According to advice from the Mayo Clinic, “If your bone spurs don't cause you any pain or if they don't limit any range of motion in your joints, then you likely won't need treatment”. However if your elbow keeps on giving you trouble, it is better to seek medical attention before the problem gets aggravated. There are many methods of treatment available for an elbow bone spur. If you are able to move your arm, but have inflammation and experience discomfort or mild pain, then your doctor may advice you to use an ice pack in the inflamed area with the elbow bone spur in order to ease the pain. He may also prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which can be purchased over the counter, to reduce the swelling and ease the pain. Along with medication, it is particularly important that you rest your elbow. To assist you with this, your doctor may provide you with an elbow sleeve or he may put your elbow on a sling.
On the other hand, if you are a professional sports person or if you indulge in a lot of sports and outdoor activities, your doctor might recommend you to get surgical treatment for your elbow bone spur. An orthopedic surgeon will perform the surgery and remove the overgrowth. The surgery does not guarantee that the elbow bone spur will not grow back. But this is the longest lasting and best option, if you are someone who is involved in strenuous activity which puts pressure on your elbow. Nevertheless you can better your chances of recovery and the elbow bone spur not returning by pursuing physical therapy and making certain modifications to your activities.
