Dr. Mauk’s Boomer Blog

Group of older mature people lifting weights in the gym

Bone spurs, which are small projections that develop on the edges of bones, are a highly common ailment that affects about 2 percent of the U.S. population.

People of any age can develop bone spurs, but they’re especially common in senior citizens since they are often associated with osteoarthritis-related joint damage.

Bone spurs don’t always require medical treatment, but, depending on their location, they can contribute to joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness that limit mobility. Bone spurs along the spine are particularly problematic, as are ones that develop in the knee or ankle joints.

For seniors who are struggling with bone spurs, there are lots of different treatment options available, including the four listed below.

1. Weight Loss
Weight loss is one of the most effective treatments for managing bone spurs, especially spinal bone spurs.

Changing your diet will is, generally speaking, the most effective weight loss tool. Focus on limiting your caloric intake and cutting out greasy fast food and highly processed snacks. Replace them with high-quality protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also help lubricate the joints and relieve inflammation.

2. Lifestyle Aids
There are lots of tools out there as well that can help relieve pain caused by bone spurs. Some good options to invest in include:

Supportive shoes that cushion the feet and avoid putting extra strain on the joints
Orthotic inserts to provide extra support
A shoe horn to help you avoid bending over and aggravating your back while getting dressed

3. Regular Exercise
Exercise releases natural painkillers in the form of endorphins. It also strengthens the muscles to help support the joints and relieve pressure placed on them.

Resistance training, walking, and swimming are all good exercise options for people struggling with bone spurs. Work with a trainer or physical therapist to make sure you’re practicing proper form and not doing anything to aggravate your condition.

4. Minimally Invasive Surgery
Finally, some people require minimally invasive surgery to get rid of their bone spurs. When you undergo surgery, a doctor will use state-of-the-art equipment to identify the spur and extract it.

This is typically an outpatient procedure, and the recovery time only lasts a few hours — you’ll be up and walking shortly after and won’t have to deal with an extended hospital stay.

For seniors, age-related muscle loss, joint stiffness, and bone weakness all contribute to the tendency to slouch, slump, or hunch over when sitting and standing. If you’re wondering if poor posture in old age is really that big of a deal, the answer is yes.

Poor posture habits can culminate in a host of symptoms including:

• Back and neck pain – wear and tear on the spine from prolonged bad posture coupled with tense and inflamed muscles compensating for the slouching and slumping add up to chronic pain.
• Reduced breathing capacity – hunching your back places added pressure on the thoracic cavity, leaving less room for your lungs to fill with air when you breathe.
• Interrupted digestion – intestinal motility is believed to be at its most efficient digesting food and moving gas when your abdomen is straighter and more upright.

Musculoskeletal damage – poor posture habits can cascade from strain in the back to pelvic imbalance, to even knee and leg issues over time.

So how can seniors make small improvements to their posture to benefit their health? Don’t miss this quick list:

Sit Less, Move More – prolonged sitting which has been linked with early death is also a classic bad posture culprit. Because of mobility issues or illness, seniors may feel prevented from staying active, however, it’s essential to spend less time sitting each day and more time moving, whether it’s walking, exercising, socializing, you name it.

Avoid Text Neck – the more modern posture habit of craning the neck past the shoulders and tilting the head down at a 15 to 45° angle to look at your tech devices places serious strain on your back muscles as they work overtime to hold your head up. Try to:

1. Make phone calls or using talk-to-text instead of staring down at your phone and texting
2. Use a laptop desk when working on the computer in bed or on the couch
3. Hold your smartphone or tablet up in front of your face instead of at your waist

Practice Posture Exercises – your back and core muscles play an important role in properly supporting your spine and helping you maintain good posture. Reinforce these key muscle groups with routine exercise!

Check Your Biomechanics – your feet and the biomechanics of your gait can seriously impact your posture. Overpronating can lead to exaggerated inward knee rotation which stresses the hip and thusly compromises spinal integrity. Check your gait and sitting/standing form with your doctor.

Almost one-fourth (23.9 percent) of seniors between the ages of 60 and 90 suffer from frequent hip pain.

Whether it’s the result of a bad fall or is brought on by a combination of poor mechanics and old age, it’s important for seniors to know that they’re not doomed to suffer from hip pain for the rest of their lives.

Read on to learn some simple tips to help seniors combat hip pain.

1. Do Hip Bridges
A hip bridge is one of the best exercises you can do to combat hip pain.

To do this exercise, simply lie on your back with your feet hip-distance apart and planted on the ground. Press into the ground and lift your hips in the air, trying to form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees (don’t arch your back).

Hold for 3-5 seconds, then return to the beginning. Complete ten repetitions.

2. Use Ice Daily
Icing your hip can work wonders for relieving pain and inflammation, especially if your hip pain is brought on by bursitis or arthritis. Depending on your pain level, you can ice your hip up to 4-5 times per day in 10-15-minute increments.

3. Raise the Seat
Many seniors find that their hip pain is aggravated when they try to lower themselves onto and raise themselves up from a chair, sofa, or even a toilet. Devices like a chairlift or a raised toilet seat can help reduce hip strain for seniors as they stand up and sit down.

4. Stretch Consistently
Consistent stretching is also important for relieving pain and improving hip mobility. The figure 4 stretch is one of the best for hip pain.

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent. Lift the leg that’s bothering you and cross it over your other leg so that your ankle is resting on your opposite thigh. Pull the bent leg in toward your chest, clasping your hands around the back of your thigh if possible. Hold for 10-15 seconds, then release and switch sides.

5. Use Natural Anti-Inflammatories
Finally, instead of using over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, which can cause serious issues for seniors, try using a natural anti-inflammatory like curcumin (found in turmeric). Turmeric is safe for most people, and research shows it works just as well as ibuprofen for improving joint pain and function.