However, while bone spurs are an indication that there is degeneration of the spine, these bony growths are not usually the actual cause of the pain. However, this is not at all true.
Bone spurs are in fact smooth structures that form over a prolonged period of time.
The medical term for bone spurs is osteophytes , and they represent an enlargement of the normal bony structure. Over the age of 60, bone spurs are actually quite common. It must be stressed that degeneration of the spine occurs in all persons to some degree. The human spine is made of thirty-two separate vertebral segments that are separated by intervertebral discs made of collagen and ligaments. These discs are shock absorbers and allow a limited degree of flexibility and motion at each spinal segment.