Bone spurs are protrusions that usually form where bones meet. They often cause no symptoms and in some cases no treatment is needed. If a bone spur is accompanied by pain, swelling, or reduced joint mobility, getting it checked out by a health care provider is recommended.
A bone spur is diagnosed through a physical exam and an x-ray, MRI, or ultrasound. Treatment, when necessary, can range from over-the-counter OTC pain medicines and extra protective padding to surgery when the bone spur inhibits normal movement.
On the other hand or foot , ganglion cysts are non-cancerous bumps filled with thick, clear fluid and can occur on feet, ankles, wrists, or hands. The exact cause of ganglion cysts is unknown, and many of these cysts do not cause symptoms. These cases usually do not require treatment and often go away on their own. However, some ganglion cysts can cause pain if pressing on a nerve or impair movement. Like bone spurs, diagnosing a ganglion cyst consists of a combination of a physical exam and an x-ray, MRI, or ultrasound.
Treatment usually includes one of the following:. A ganglion may look like a bump on the hand or wrist. It also can appear on your feet, ankles, knees, or shoulders. It is not cancer.
A ganglion can grow out of the protective area, or capsule, around a joint. It also can grow on a tendon sheath, which covers the rope-like tendons that connect muscle to bone.
A ganglion may hurt or cause numbness if it presses on a nerve. Many ganglions do not need treatment, and they often go away on their own. But if a ganglion hurts, becomes larger, causes numbness, or limits your activity, your doctor may want to drain it with a needle and syringe or remove it with minor surgery. Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse call line if you are having problems.
It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. When the ganglion cyst becomes large enough, it will begin to put pressure on surrounding structures. This pressure can cause painful symptoms and is usually the reason these ganglion cysts are removed. There are several methods of treatment for a wrist ganglion cyst. Many hand and wrist experts recommend no treatment for cysts at all. While some people don't like the look of a ganglion cyst, and some people have discomfort, the cysts are generally not harmful, and many patients feel much better once reassured that the cyst is not going to cause any long-term problem.
Particularly with volar ganglion cysts, the treatment can be problematic, and complications including infection, tendon injury, and recurrence of the cyst can all occur. Putting a needle into the ganglion cyst and aspirating the fluid may work.
However, the gelatinous fluid within the cyst does not always come through a needle very well. Furthermore, this treatment leaves the cyst lining behind, and the ganglion cyst will return about 50 percent of the time. The advantage of draining the cyst is that it is a simple procedure to perform, and the chance of a problem happening is very small.
The downside is that the chance of recurrence is quite high. The most aggressive treatment for a persistent or painful ganglion cyst is to remove it with a surgical procedure. During surgery, the wrist ganglion is completely excised, including the sac that surrounded the fluid. In addition, the connection to the joint or tendon sheath that supplied the fluid can be occluded. While this usually is effective, a small percentage of removed wrist ganglion will still return.
Surgical treatment has been well described both as an open surgical procedure through a skin incision and as an arthroscopic procedure. Different surgeons have preferences for their favored approach. Another alternative, that some call traditional, others call a bit barbaric, is to smash the wrist ganglion cyst with a hard object such as a book. This pops the cyst and ruptures the lining of the sac. While many people are familiar with this treatment, it is not considered acceptable as there is the potential for other damage from the trauma of the treatment.
Attempts to crush the cyst can result in injury. There are rare reports of fracture of the bones around the wrist associated with overzealous efforts to crush the cyst.
Ganglion cysts may go away on their own as your body absorbs the fluid over time. If your cyst persists, is painful or makes it hard to accomplish daily tasks or participate in hobbies you enjoy, you may decide to seek medical treatment. No one is certain why ganglion cysts form. We know they grow out of the linings of joints and tendons and seem to occur when the tissue around a tendon or joint erupts out of place. They often develop when some of the lubricating fluid that cushions the joints leaks out into the area of tissue just under the skin.
We also know they frequently develop in joints with arthritis or as a result of repetitive stress activities. Scientists are not sure about the exact mechanisms of cyst formation or what people could do to prevent ganglion cysts from developing. One theory is that the body responds to injury or overuse by forming the cyst as a sort of internal blister. Another is that small tears in the joint capsule or tendon membrane allow synovial fluid to seep out and form a cyst.
Doctors recognize a few risk factors that can mean a person has a higher likelihood of developing a ganglion cyst:. Should you see a doctor when you develop a ganglion cyst? It depends. Because these cysts often go away on their own, many people choose a wait-and-see approach, especially if the cyst is small and not causing discomfort.
In an appointment for a ganglion cyst, the doctor may first perform a few simple tests, such as shining a light on the cyst to determine whether it is solid tissue or a liquid-filled sac. The physician may also touch the cyst gently to assess the level of discomfort it causes. After these tests, you might have an imaging test like an X-ray, an ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging MRI scan.
These procedures can help rule out conditions such as arthritis and cancerous tumors. The doctor might also use aspiration to confirm the diagnosis. Aspiration uses a syringe and needle to extract some of the fluid from the cyst.
If the lump is a ganglion cyst, it will contain clear, almost transparent fluid. If you elect to have medical treatment for your ganglion cyst , your doctor will most likely recommend one of the following options:. Treatment is likely to depend on the kind of ganglion cyst present. With a volar cyst, physicians sometimes hesitate to perform aspiration because of the heightened risk that the needle could damage the delicate tendons and blood vessels in the inner wrist, particularly the radial artery.
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