What to do for bone spurs on the side of your foot

Hello. Thank you for posting.

A bone spur, or osteophyte, is an abnormal growth of extra bone that develops when the body tries to repair a problem. Bone spurs can occur in any bone, but they are most common in the joints and are more likely to form in some areas of the body than others. The foot is one region in which bone spurs often develop, and aside from heel spurs, they are also fairly common in the toes and the middle of the foot (midfoot).

According to BetterBraces: Most bone spurs in the foot can be treated conservatively (non-surgically) with some basic changes that can reduce pressure on the bump, and surgery is rarely needed. Although conservative treatment won't remove the bump of a bone spur, it can relieve pain and other symptoms and make it easier to function. Here are some of the most effective conservative treatments your doctor may recommend:

Padding: for a tarsal boss, placing some orthopedic padding between the bump and the tongue of the shoe can relieve some of the pressure from your shoes.

Footwear changes: if your shoes are part of the problem, you should change to wearing pairs that are less restrictive to the toes and the rest of the foot; it's best to have a high and wide toe box, and stiff soles may also help; don't tie your shoes too tightly, and for extra help, a shoe specialist may be able to create a soft area in your shoe so the material does not compress your foot so tightly.

Heat and/or ice: your doctor may recommend applying heat or ice to your bone spur when symptoms arise.

Weight loss: if you are overweight, your doctor may advise you to lose to some weight to reduce the amount of pressure on your feet.

Injections: if the pain keeps getting worse, an injection-usually a steroid called cortisone-can be injected directly into the bone spur for temporary relief.

Helena