From the Research
Bone spurs in toes typically cause pain, swelling, and stiffness in the affected joint, particularly when walking or wearing shoes, and can lead to limited range of motion, grinding or grating sensations, and numbness or tingling in severe cases. According to the most recent and highest quality study, osteoarthritis, which can cause bone spurs, affects an estimated more than 240 million people worldwide, including an estimated more than 32 million in the US 1. The symptoms of bone spurs in toes can be attributed to the pathologic changes in cartilage, bone, synovium, ligament, muscle, and periarticular fat, leading to joint dysfunction, pain, stiffness, functional limitation, and loss of valued activities.
Some common symptoms of bone spurs in toes include:
- Pain and swelling in the affected joint
- Limited range of motion in the affected toe
- Grinding or grating sensation (crepitus) when moving the toe
- Numbness or tingling if the bone spur presses on nearby nerves
- Visible bump or callus on the toe, often at the joint, which can become red and inflamed with activity. The management of osteoarthritis, which can cause bone spurs, includes exercises, weight loss if appropriate, and education-complemented by topical or oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in those without contraindications, as well as intra-articular steroid injections for short-term pain relief 1.
In terms of diagnosis, several physical examination findings are useful, including bony enlargement and pain elicited with internal rotation, and radiographic indicators include marginal osteophytes and joint space narrowing 1. The cornerstone of management is education, exercise, and weight loss, complemented by NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections, and several adjunctive medications. For persons with advanced symptoms and structural damage, total joint replacement effectively relieves pain 1.