Anyone had to deal with bone spurs?

[[DHT]Osiris]

Blew past 40, so my body is starting to betray me. I eat well, work out regularly (5-6x a week, dumbbell/cardio/flexibility training). I've had a heel bone spur for about 15y, developed when I used to run more. Doesn't bother me unless I'm trying to jog. In the last year or so I've developed one at the top of my left shin, another at the base of my left kneecap. I have a general understanding that bone spurs develop due to weakened muscles, as the bone tries to develop a stronger base for tendons and in the case of the knees, ligaments. I don't really consider my leg muscles to be weak (I'm a bit overweight, but I can squat easily aside from the pain in my knee and shin). It causes pretty extreme pain during any kind of quadricep workout , and I'm concerned I'm going to develop one on the other knee as a result of favoring it.

So basically, I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen where the explanation doesn't really match perceived reality, and if anyone has figured out anything to mitigate the effects long term. Thanks!

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I never realized the [DHT] stood for Donald Hume Trump...

I kid, I kid!

No, I haven not had to deal with bone spurs, but for my very cursory reading they're more a symptom of osteoarthritis, not necessarily weak anything. But like anything medical, please do not take advice from internet randos, please go see a doctor if the pain is beyond basic stuff. Get some Xrays, bounce questions off a professional, and then come back and bitch about it to us

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I never realized the [DHT] stood for Donald Hume Trump...

I kid, I kid!

No, I haven not had to deal with bone spurs, but for my very cursory reading they're more a symptom of osteoarthritis, not necessarily weak anything. But like anything medical, please do not take advice from internet randos, please go see a doctor if the pain is beyond basic stuff. Get some Xrays, bounce questions off a professional, and then come back and bitch about it to us

Haha, in my case I actually picked the heel one up in the military. I blame running in circles for hours for several years.

 

[Torn Mind]

You might have to cut back on the working out part.

You might also want to do some "muscular introspection". I highly doubt most people even think about trigger points or tight muscles, but both overused and underused muscles can seize up "painlessly".

Also, you might need podiatrist approved shoes. Most shoes are garbage and not made well. Only a select few are designed with comfort and health in mind, i.e Nike Air Monarchs.

I do recall you do eat sensibly, but you might have to "optimize" further as you advance in age.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

You might have to cut back on the working out part.

You might also want to do some "muscular introspection". I highly doubt most people even think about trigger points or tight muscles, but both overused and underused muscles can seize up "painlessly".

Also, you might need podiatrist approved shoes. Most shoes are garbage and not made well. Only a select few are designed with comfort and health in mind, i.e Nike Air Monarchs.

I do recall you do eat sensibly, but you might have to "optimize" further as you advance in age.

I've been forced by the spurs to scale back a smidge on workouts. I was already giving myself at least a day between muscle groups but I've started adding more 'gaps' between leg days. It alleviates the constant discomfort but doesn't help the pain during the workouts.

I've also started stretching even more than I was before, including on harder to stretch muscles (front of shin, sides of ankles, crap like that). I've also started icing whether I feel I need it or not.

I rarely wear shoes as it is, basically just to the store and back every few days, or if I happen to be doing something outside. I wfh, don't really shop, and detest crowds.

 

[Motostu]

No real advice, but will share my limited experience. I had (maybe still have?) spurs in my heels around the achilles tendon. Podiatrist said there was stress there caused by my arches falling and put me in arch supports which have mostly alleviated that pain. It took some time, but well worth it. I have to wear shoes pretty much all the time now for the support.

 

[Torn Mind]

I've been forced by the spurs to scale back a smidge on workouts. I was already giving myself at least a day between muscle groups but I've started adding more 'gaps' between leg days. It alleviates the constant discomfort but doesn't help the pain during the workouts.

I've also started stretching even more than I was before, including on harder to stretch muscles (front of shin, sides of ankles, crap like that). I've also started icing whether I feel I need it or not.

I rarely wear shoes as it is, basically just to the store and back every few days, or if I happen to be doing something outside. I wfh, don't really shop, and detest crowds.

Stretching is good, but sometimes, so-called "trigger points" cannot be cured by stretching alone, but pressure at the "sore point" of a muscle. Combined stretching with pressure on the muscle can loosen them up more.

 

[Hans Gruber]

You need to rethink your exercise routine. No more running, walking long distances (3-5miles) is fine. Swimming, riding a bike or lifting weights is your best options past age 40. There are lifetime runners and even the best crap out in their early to mid 50's. It's kind of sad but that is the way it is. There are some non cross country runners that show up in those marathons in their 60's and 70's. I guess their advantage is not having decades of wear and tear that the decades long runners had.

Lifting weights can be dangerous as well. People who do not create a good base of each exercise. Low weight, high reps and many sets over a week or two. You have to train your body and muscle group. If you do not train properly, you will get injured.

Bone spurs can heal on their own from rest and not straining the parts of your feet that trigger the bone spurs. A treadmill could also be a good option but you need to get the bone spur problem under control.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

You need to rethink your exercise routine. No more running, walking long distances (3-5miles) is fine. Swimming, riding a bike or lifting weights is your best options past age 40. There are lifetime runners and even the best crap out in their early to mid 50's. It's kind of sad but that is the way it is. There are some non cross country runners that show up in those marathons in their 60's and 70's. I guess their advantage is not having decades of wear and tear that the decades long runners had.

Lifting weights can be dangerous as well. People who do not create a good base of each exercise. Low weight, high reps and many sets over a week or two. You have to train your body and muscle group. If you do not train properly, you will get injured.

Bone spurs can heal on their own from rest and not straining the parts of your feet that trigger the bone spurs. A treadmill could also be a good option but you need to get the bone spur problem under control.

Might have missed something in my first post. I'm not suffering from heel spurs, nor am I running currently. I do a combination of dumbbell free weights, cardio, calisthenics, yoga, etc.

Also, I've seen no evidence that bone spurs heal on their own. I've had a heel spur for around 15 years that notifies me of it's existence any time I have reason to jog for more than 100' or so. Not very often at this point but it certainly hasn't dissolved itself from lack of exercising the associated tendon.