How to Know If You Have Cervical Bone Spurs

Bones spurs are hard growths on regular bones. Cervical bone spurs can be caused by irregular wear and tear on the vertebrae of the neck. Although an X-ray is the only way to diagnose a bone spur, certain symptoms indicate the possibility that the growths have formed on the neck bones.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a checklist of symptoms you are experiencing and compare them to the symptoms of bone spurs: Pain, swelling, stiffness, tingling/pinprick sensation, weakness, numbness, disability. In the case of cervical bone spurs, these symptoms would take place in the neck, shoulders, back and spine.

• 2

  Seek the aid of a physical therapist if you are having pain. Some people can have bone spurs without ever knowing it because they only cause problems when they are damaging other tissue. If the bone spurs are causing pain, a physical therapist may be able to help alleviate pain with a variety of techniques.

• 3

  Schedule an appointment with your doctor. They can perform tests such as a neck flexibility assessment and a neurological exam to see if another condition, such as a pinched nerve, could be responsible for your symptoms. Having a doctor perform an X-ray is the only way to determine if you have cervical bone spurs.