What should I do if I have painful osteophytes in my knee? Can osteophytes in the knee joint be cured? As we age, many people develop “bone spurs” in their joints, and the pain is so unbearable that many people hate them to the bone and try to get rid of them. But in fact, bone spurs are not as bad as we think, but there are certain benefits. The correct understanding of bone spurs is the joint in the maintenance of stability Bone spurs are known as osteophytes, which is a natural manifestation of human aging. It occurs mostly in middle-aged or elderly people over 45 years old. As age increases, poor posture and sports injuries can cause degenerative changes in the muscles and ligaments around the joints and spine, resulting in disruption of the balance of the joints, spine and muscles and instability of the joints and spine. At this time, the body’s joints will start the self-protection mechanism, through the growth of bone spurs to increase the contact area of the bones, reduce the pressure on the bone unit area, so that the spine and joints to re-achieve a balanced state, and thus more stable. It’s like trees that grow in harsh environments tend to have more abundant roots compared to trees in good environments. So, bone spurs are a “good thing”. There is a bad side to bone spurs, but some people may say that if they are a “good thing”, why do they cause joint pain and discomfort? In fact, in most cases, small bone spurs do not cause discomfort and can usually only be detected by imaging. However, with the development of bone spurs, the various tissues that make up the joint (such as cartilage) are more likely to age and become inflamed as the joint is used more often. These changes can lead to irritation or compression of the tissues or nerves around the joint, which can cause a series of reactions such as swelling and pain in the joint. At this time, it is usually considered osteophytes and needs to be treated. How should osteophytes be treated? Since osteophytes are self-protective mechanisms of the joints, they usually do not need to be treated. Instead, what we really treat is to reduce the damage caused by osteophytes when they cause symptoms such as joint pain or numbness or when they compress the nerves. Medication When non-specific inflammatory stimulation occurs after acute or chronic injury to soft tissues, or when adhesion hyperplasia hypertrophy occurs after soft tissue injury, local blood circulation is affected and pain is produced. At this time, drug treatment can be carried out with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, joint cartilage protection drugs, and blood-stasis activating drugs, which can activate blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis, anti-inflammatory and pain relief. It should be noted that different types or effects of creams, the applicable period is different. For example, anti-inflammatory and pain relief creams are suitable for the acute inflammation period with redness, swelling and heat pain symptoms; while infrared heat therapy creams are suitable for the chronic period without obvious symptoms. If used in reverse, it is not only difficult to relieve the symptoms, but also may promote the progress of joint disease. Surgery Surgery is the only way to reduce or eliminate bone spurs, although it is only necessary if the spur is compressing the surrounding tissues or nerves and causing the corresponding symptoms. For example, osteophytes of the knee generally require only conservative treatment, especially for bone spurs that are growing on the edges of the joint surface and in the middle of the knee. However, if nerve pain, movement disorders, or sensory disturbances occur, surgery is required. The same applies to lumbar spine osteophytes and cervical spine osteophytes, which usually require surgical decompression only when they compress nerves and cause symptoms such as pain and numbness in the limbs. Therefore, whether or not surgery is needed, you need to follow medical advice and not blindly think that a long bone spur should be operated in time. Moreover, even if the bone spur is surgically removed, the body may continue to grow it in order to maintain stability. Especially in the case of the spine, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Of course, if your doctor recommends surgery, it is important to actively cooperate so as not to delay the condition and cause more serious consequences. Avoiding osteoporosis is a matter of daily prevention and proper calcium supplementation Clinically, 80% of patients who have fractures due to osteoporosis have grown bone spurs. This is because people with osteoporosis are prone to minor microfractures in the lower part of the cartilage around the joints, and the organism produces bone spurs in order to repair the damage. Therefore, you should eat more calcium-rich foods, such as milk, soy products and nuts, in your daily life. You can also get sunshine when the sun is not too strong to promote the absorption of calcium. If necessary, calcium tablets should be taken appropriately. Avoid bad posture Stand and sit to always remind yourself to keep your head up and avoid prolonged head down. Choose a pillow that conforms to your own physiological curvature, not too high, so as not to passively lower the cervical spine in the state. Generally speaking, a good pillow has a fist high after lying down compressed, side lying with a height of about one shoulder width. Sitting on the sofa, do not “Gueuze”. If the sofa sitting surface is too long, the backrest is too short, when sitting to pay attention to the waist, the neck put a pillow, so that the two joints have a support. If the sofa is very soft, it is also best to put a cushion to ensure a certain sitting surface hardness. Pay attention to joint warmth After the joint is cold, it is easy to inflammatory response, which may damage the joint cartilage, triggering bone spurs to repair the joint. So usually must pay attention to joint warmth, not “to wind not temperature”, so as not to let themselves suffer. In addition, weight control, less high heels, etc. can also help reduce the weight on the joints, reducing the incidence of osteophytes.