What to Expect When Treating Your Bone Spurs with an Epidural

If knife-like pain finds you when you stand up in the morning or a dull heel ache lingers all day, you know how bothersome and painful bone spurs can be. 

Bone spurs can also cause radiating heat, visible protrusions, and tenderness that makes walking difficult. And they can form in any joints in your body, including your hips, knees, heels, and spine.

While self-care steps suffice for some bone spurs, an epidural can be a good option for severe and ongoing symptoms.

Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, offers epidurals as a comfort-bringing option when other treatments fail to help. 

If you’re dealing with bone spur pain, read on to learn more about this minimally invasive option.

Bone spur treatments

Bone spurs affect people differently, with symptoms that range from relatively mild to debilitating and severe. In addition to the specifics of your symptoms, your overall health, lifestyle, and treatment history help determine your ideal treatment plan.

Aside from epidural injections, bone spur treatments often include:

• Applying an ice pack or cold compress to the affected area for 10 minutes at a time
• Anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen or naproxen 
• Modified activities or particular stretches

If a bone spur affects one of your feet or legs, you may benefit from resting and elevating the affected joint. Wearing cushioned athletic shoes or custom orthotics may also help in the case of a heel spur.

While not as common, surgery to remove the bone spur can also treat your symptoms.

How epidurals help bone spurs

An epidural can help control your bone spur pain with two ingredients: a numbing agent and a steroid known as cortisone. 

During your treatment, Dr. Kang injects the epidural into the space around your spinal cord where nerves involved with chronic pain are located. By reducing inflammation of those nerves, epidurals relieve ongoing pain. While results vary, full relief may take 2-7 days to unfold.

Depending on how you respond to the epidural, Dr. Kang may recommend an additional injection if or when your pain returns. In some cases, an epidural works best as part of a multifaceted treatment plan. 

Good candidates for epidural injections

You may be a good candidate for an epidural for bone spurs if you have ongoing or severe symptoms that haven't responded well to rest, ice packs, or over-the-counter medications. 

Factors that may disqualify you from the treatment include having an allergy to anesthesia, an active infection, poorly controlled diabetes, or a blood clotting issue.

To learn more about epidurals for bone spurs or to get started toward the comfort and relief you deserve, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.