{"id":5328,"date":"2019-04-05T05:18:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T05:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5328"},"modified":"2021-03-29T20:42:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T20:42:15","slug":"14-common-symptoms-of-osteochondroma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-common-symptoms-of-osteochondroma\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Symptoms of Osteochondroma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Osteochondroma is a benign bone tumor that may feel like hard bumps near a person\u2019s joints. Many cases of benign osteochondroma are found to be symptomless and are usually discovered incidentally, meaning that they require little by way of treatment. Unless there is significant pain or worsening symptoms, many people can live a life relatively unaffected by osteochondroma.
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If, however, it is even remotely suspected that the osteochondroma tumor is malignant, medical attention should be sought immediately. It\u2019s never worth taking a chance on a tumor, as cancers picked up early are always the most treatable, giving the patient the best possible prognosis. Some of the key indicators and clinical markers for malignancy are mass enlargements, swelling, and pain.
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When a malignant tumor is not suspected, osteochondroma may be identified by common symptoms that occur in other patients though, and these are listed below with a summary given in each case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.     Limited normal functions and movements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As the osteochondromas grow slowly and inwardly around the joint, normal movement can be greatly impinged and significantly limited to the point that it can become very frustrating for sufferers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This type of symptom is incredibly variable due to a number of different factors such as a patient\u2019s age, weight, existing health issues and their usual tendency to swelling or susceptibility to inflammation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of patients report feeling uncomfortable as they move around or exercise, on top of the limitations they experience. It\u2019s not usually the case that the patient is unable to move completely, but more often the case that they are limited in the movements they have come to accept as normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example would be walking up the stairs for instance or washing the pots after dinner. These may have been movements that incorporated a series of functional movements that the patient previously took for granted, which now require planning and preparation in order for the movements to happen safely and with stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2.     Hard immobile painless palpable mass<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Due to this common symptom being essentially painless, it might not seem like it is worth highlighting, although painless symptoms can be just as upsetting to a patient as those which cause the most pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appearing like reddish, inflamed calluses, these masses can be unsightly and hard to disguise with makeup or clothing. The associated mental and psychological implications, such as anxiety<\/a> and depression, can be additional symptoms that are sometimes ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that these masses tend to be hard can also be distressing, as they can often be wrongly interpreted as malignant tumors, meaning that the sufferer can become agitated and worried at their development.
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There are several further symptoms, which would be classed as more major symptoms of osteochondroma that can arise. Complications that can worsen osteochondromas, such as hairline fractures, bone deformities and the occurrence of mechanical joint problems, can have serious implications and require medical intervention.
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3.     Adjacent muscle soreness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a particularly frustrating symptom for sufferers, as adjacent muscle soreness <\/a>with pain similar to that caused by DOMS can be felt, even when those muscles haven\u2019t been overworked or tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can lead to several complications. A patient may be inclined to believe that they have pulled, overstretched or torn the sore muscle, and may subsequently seek treatment for a problem they simply don\u2019t have. It can also restrict movement even further than the limiting of everyday and normal functions already does, given that when it hurts to move, we are less inclined to move at all.
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The presence of joint pain can often worry people into suspecting malignancy, nut pain is not always an indicator of malignancy though, as osteochondromas which occur under a tendon can cause pain to be experienced during all types of movement, as the restriction is caused with the joint working in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4.     Irritation with exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the advice that is given to many people experiencing limited movement and\/ or muscle soreness is often that they should get up and about, it comes as little consolation to patients with osteochondromas that doing so can actually cause further irritation <\/a>and aggravation to the osteochondroma, resulting in increased pain. Pain also occurs due to the presence of bursal inflammation at times, with different levels of swelling or even a fracture at the foot of the tumor itself. This means that irritation caused by exercise can be quite confusing for sufferers to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s essentially like being caught between a rock and a hard place, knowing that movement is the only thing likely to help restore functional movement, but also aware that the very same movement has the potential to cause further annoyance further down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s often said that exercise is the best medicine, and whilst it\u2019s hard to disagree with that sentiment, in the case of osteochondromas, caution has to be exercised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5.     Numbness in an affected limb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When an osteochondroma is on top, adjacent to, or close to a nerve or blood vessel, the affected limb or limbs can experience an unusual and unsettling type of numbness<\/a>. This numbness can be quite a distressing experience for someone to have to endure. The loss of sensation can be unpleasant and lead to alarm and distress, but this is a fairly common occurrence for people with osteochondromas, which usually isn\u2019t too serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s more likely to be annoying than it is dangerous. The numbness can strike at any time and usually tends to occur when it is most inconvenient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The numbness doesn’t tend to be triggered by anything, in particular, making it hard to predict and awkward to manage. Some people with osteochondromas report experiencing a complete lack of feeling amounting to full numbness, whereas others rank the feeling from a mild tingling through to a more definite numbness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6.     Weakness in an affected limb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also associated with the proximity to nerves or blood vessels<\/a>, is a frequent weakness in the affected limb. This comes about in much the same way that the numbness does, and as such can have annoying and potentially dangerous implications in daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If whilst crossing the road, for example, a person\u2019s leg becomes so weak that it is unusable, it is not difficult to foresee an issue arising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, for those people who continue to work with osteochondromas, as many people do, a sudden loss of strength in an arm or a leg can mean the difference between staying at work and lying in the sickbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is often hard for people living with osteochondromas to explain the situation to those around them, as the unpredictability of symptoms such as this one, can lead to the suspicion that the condition is not as bad as the patient is making out. Just because someone is able to do something on one day, doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that they\u2019ll be able to do the same thing the next day, nor does it mean that they\u2019ll never be able to do it again either for that matter.
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7.     Loss of pulse in an affected limb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Again, this symptom is brought about by the osteochondroma being present near to nerves <\/a>or blood vessels, only this time the symptom is more palpable and so easier for other people to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst weakness and numbness are sensations, or the lack thereof, that are only really apparent to the patient, the loss of a recordable pulse in an affected limb can be assessed by a third party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst it is not usually a sign that immediate medical care is needed, this loss of pulse can still cause alarm in the person affected. The loss of pulse can easily be attributed to a loss of blood flow or at least a restriction. In order to combat this, regular movement is encouraged, however, it is fair to say that some of the other commonly occurring symptoms of osteochondroma, like those mentioned above, can make this much more easily said than done, inhibiting movement and aggravating muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8.     Periodic changes in blood flow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It can actually be the case that there is a noted and unusual change to the blood flow in an affected limb or extremity, though as long as it is periodic and not permanent, the patient should be able to self regulate. It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that medical treatment <\/a>should be sought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sensation of lost or limited blood flow can be quite distressing for a patient, and even though this symptom is classed as periodic, this isn\u2019t to say that it is evenly spaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a symptom that is much more likely to be experienced sporadically, coming and going in no particular pattern or repetition, making it very difficult to pre-empt or plan for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Periodic changes in blood flow are not normal, and the regular sufferers of this symptom, especially when it occurs in conjunction with weakness, numbness and a loss of pulse, are best advised to seek medical attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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