In outpatient clinics and wards, we encounter many patients, young or old, with various imaging materials (X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, CT films) who ask the doctor worriedly, “Doctor, is this back pain (neck pain) caused by osteophytes and can it be cured?” or “Doctor, this pain is caused by osteophytes. Or, “Doctor, my pain is caused by osteophytes, I’ve taken medicine for osteophytes before and it’s better, can you prescribe some more? In addition to the large number of advertisements nowadays, “xxx, a post for osteophytes! The fact is that many people are afraid of osteophytes and feel that osteophytes are the culprit of neck and back pain. A. What is osteophytes? Osteomalacia, commonly known as “bone spurs”, is a natural physiological aging phenomenon in the human body, a degenerative change that can occur after the age of 25. The so-called “bone spur” is a layer of calcified material formed by the repair and hardening of the surface of the bones attached to the muscles as a result of local wear and tear, damage and inflammatory reactions caused by long-term repeated muscle strain. Although osteophytes are a physiological phenomenon, in recent years there is a tendency for them to become younger, which has seriously affected people’s normal work and life. In particular, white-collar workers in offices, assembly line workers, airline passengers and computer workers have become a high-risk group for osteophytes due to their work. They maintain the same posture of sitting and standing for a long time or incorrect posture, resulting in strain on the neck and shoulder muscles, causing the cervical and lumbar vertebrae to be in flexion or certain specific positions for a long time, which not only increases the pressure in the cervical and lumbar intervertebral discs, but also puts the cervical and lumbar muscles in a non-coordinated stress state for a long time, resulting in strain on the posterior cervical and lumbar muscles, ligaments and fascia, excessive wear and tear and hyperplasia of the skeletal soft tissues at the front and rear edges of the vertebral body, plus Small joint torsion and lateral flexion overload lead to injury, which results in the occurrence of cervical and lumbar vertebral body edge, small joint hyperplasia. Is osteophytes the culprit of cervical and lumbar pain? Osteomalacia is not the culprit of cervical and lumbar pain. Osteomalacia is related to inflammation and ischemia and hypoxia caused by muscle strain, rather than the hyperplastic bone itself will be painful, and the pain can be relieved by active local anti-inflammatory and analgesic treatment. So, does having a long osteophyte necessarily mean that it will be painful? The answer is no. Whether osteophytes cause pain depends on whether there is pressure on the nerve roots or the spine, if there is no pressure there will be no discomfort. On the contrary, if the compression is caused to the blood vessels, dizziness will appear, and if the osteophytes happen to press on the nearby nerve roots or spine, symptoms such as pain, stiffness, bending inflexibility and muscle weakness in the lower back may appear. Third, why is there always multiple pain and imaging changes in the cervical and lumbar spine? Unlike the thoracic spine, the cervical and lumbar spine have a larger range of motion and concentrated stress, and thus are susceptible to external forces. Due to trauma and strain, it can lead to imbalance of muscle balance around the spine, degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs, ligaments and intervertebral joints, resulting in instability of the intervertebral or posterior small joints, or even intervertebral slippage, and osteophytic changes on imaging. Meanwhile, the nerve roots in the cervical and lumbar segments mainly innervate the sensory, motor, reflex and sphincter functions of the upper and lower extremities. When osteophytes in these areas involve the sinus vertebral nerves or nerve roots around the vertebral bodies, they will produce symptoms of lumbar pain or irritation of the nerve roots in the lower extremities, therefore, people think that cervical and lumbar pain is caused by osteophytes. Fourth, the treatment of osteophytes There is no treatment that can completely eliminate osteophytes and cure osteophytes, just like forcibly eliminating wrinkles on the human face that grow with age. The purpose of treating osteophytes is not to eliminate the proliferated bone, but to eliminate the sterile inflammation around the proliferated bone. The treatment of osteophytes is mainly to relieve the pain, soreness and discomfort of muscles, fascia or nerves caused by the hyperplasia, not to eliminate the hyperplastic bones. Those with osteophytes without discomfort generally do not need treatment. If there is pain, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs or closed treatment can be used to treat the symptoms, and hot compresses and physical therapy can also be used to promote blood circulation or to reduce nerve compression through small acupuncture. Even those topical creams that are advertised as being able to eliminate “bone spurs” only activate blood circulation, reduce swelling and pain, and do not eliminate or prevent the occurrence and progression of osteophytes. In addition, other therapies can also help with neck and lumbar pain, such as hot compresses with hot water bags at home or moxibustion on the affected area, which can open the meridians and activate the blood and have a pain-relieving effect, and massage and traction can also help relax the local muscles and relieve pain. After the occurrence of obvious osteophytes, elderly people should still exercise in moderation, but avoid long-term strenuous exercise to avoid uneven stress and overload on the bones and surrounding soft tissues, which can aggravate the painful condition, and at the same time grasp the intensity of the exercise and pay attention to the cold and warmth.