It’s funny how things seem to come in batches. Yesterday I was speaking to two different friends, both had issues with bone spurs. I may not hear about bone spurs for weeks, and then two in one day. So, I decided that I should write about it to help anyone else who is experiencing bone spurs.
There could be other reasons for the formation of a bone spur, but I only deal with the muscular component, so I’m not saying this is the “be all, end all” of this topic, but it is definitely the one that is usually overlooked by everyone including the medical professional.
I’ve mentioned it a lot of times, but as a refresher: muscles merge into tendons and then tendons attach to bones. The insertion points are close to joints so when the muscle contracts the joint will move. However, when the muscle is shortened by spasms (usually caused by repetitive movements, but it can be from a trauma such as whiplash) the muscle is pulling hard on the tendon. This will cause the tendon to put a severe strain on the attachment at the bone and can even cause the tendon to start to pull away from the bone! OUCH!
As this is happening you will end up with an inflammation at that point, and this will be diagnosed as tendonitis. You do have tendonitis but you don’t need to simply take anti-inflammatory drugs to stop the inflammation, you need to stop the cause of the inflammation…release the tension on the tendon and therefore release the tension on the bone.
If the muscle tension isn’t released it will keep pulling the tendon away from the bone. The body, in it’s magnificent wisdom, will send bone cells to the insertion point of the tendon to hold on to it so it won’t rip away from the bone. Those bone cells are vital, you don’t want to remove them (with a laser or other surgical procedure) until AFTER you have released the tension in the muscle.
I am always talking about how to release tight muscles, and you know that I’ve developed a System that treats all of the muscles that cause carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, as well as other hand wrist pains. This same System will teach you how to treat the muscles of your neck, several of your shoulder muscles, and all of the muscles of your entire arm all the way to your hand. And I’ve also written books teaching you how to self-treat the rest of your body.
It isn’t logical to me to simply address the symptom of a problem, in this case, the spur, and ignore the most potential cause of the problem. It doesn’t take that long, and it is definitely less expensive. Plus, if you remove the spur and the body did send the bone cells there to hold on to the tendon, your tendon could rip from the bone and you’ll really be in a mess. It’s worth your time and energy to do whatever you can before you address the spur surgically.
I get a bit urgent about this problem because I’ve seen people who have had the bone spur removed and either it came back immediately (because the body had a purpose for creating it in the first place) or (worst case scenario) their tendon ripped from the bone. I’ve seen it in the heel (Achilles tendon), the shoulder (many muscles, but the biceps are the most common), and the hamstrings (usually at the base of the butt, but also at the back of the knee).
I hope you’ll consider releasing the tension in your muscles if you are suffering from bone spurs. Either go to a good massage therapist who is trained in trigger point therapy, or learn how to do it yourself. Through the years I’ve seen thousands (really!) of people who were suffering from tendonitis &/or bone spurs get relief immediately, I believe you can have relief too!
Wishing you well,
Julie
Sam Necklen
hello there i have developed patellar tendonosis in my right knee from skateboarding. unfortunately i was misdiagnosed and was not told to stop jumping so i continued to do so for an entire year with only pain after activity until i finally got a second opinion and underwent autologous blood injections into my tendon. seems to have helped somewhat but now i am just doing the decline eccentric squats daily and stretching and foam rolling all the muscles. i have maintained good flexibility. but here is the main issue. despite bringing it up to doctors they have said dont worry about it, but what it is is a boney bump right on my patella above the tendon that developed out of nowhere earlier in the injury. its never felt tender or anything but I am now considering another opinion and or MRi scan to see if the bone is causing me continuing trouble. I have also noticed that the bump feels smaller on ocassion? any help or thoughts would be greatly appreciated as this condition isnt seeming to get any better! thanks!
Julie Donnelly
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet coaHi Sam,
First, I apologize for the delay. I am still challenged by the computer so my webmaster just pointed out that I had messages that needed to be answered.
The odds are your quadriceps muscles are very tight and putting a strain on the insertion point of the patella tendon. The doctors are right that it’s not a big problem, but it is important to eliminate the strain on the tendon insertion. Do you already have my book, Treat Yourself to Pain-Free Living? If so, I suggest you not only do the treatment for your quadriceps, but also do the entire Julstro Protocol for the low back and hips. As these muscles are shortening (which they are definitely doing as you are skateboarding) to bring you into the squat position common for skateboarding tricks, they cause your pelvis to rotate. The rotation forward and down causes your quads to shorten, which then puts a strain on your patella tendon when you are bending your knees. It gets complicated, but the bottom line is, self-treat all of the muscles that impact your pelvis, then do your quadriceps, and finally your hamstrings. I believe that will help your knee issue.
Wishing you well,
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