Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Advanced Osteoarthritis
If you're living with advanced osteoarthritis and the pain and inflammation it causes, low-dose radiation therapy (LD-RT) may provide relief when other treatments are no longer effective. Cancer Care Centers of Brevard (CCCB) offers this proven, non-invasive, and painless therapy for patients in Brevard County and the surrounding areas.
What is Advanced Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, occurring when the protective cartilage that cushions your joints gradually breaks down. It can affect any joint, but it most often occurs in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. The gradual cartilage degeneration leads to pain, inflammation, and stiffness, ultimately resulting in bone-on-bone contact within the affected joint. This is extremely painful, leading many people to a joint replacement surgery, if available.
Approximately 1 in 7 Americans has osteoarthritis, and this number is expected to increase as the population ages. Osteoarthritis is more common in older adults, particularly women, and in individuals who are overweight, those with a family history of arthritis, or those who have experienced previous joint injuries.
Osteoarthritis is sometimes described in stages:
Stage 1: Early
Stage 2: Mild
Stage 3: Moderate
Stage 4: Severe/Advanced
Common Treatments for Osteoarthritis
While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, effective treatments can help manage pain and maintain quality of life. Many of those treatments focus on medication. Low-dose radiation therapy for osteoarthritis is a drug-free option that can be used to delay or avoid a joint replacement surgery.
When osteoarthritis is in its early stages, conservative at-home remedies, such as over-the-counter medications and chiropractic care, are helpful. As the condition progresses, your doctor may recommend prescription painkillers, steroid injections, and physical therapy. Over time, these treatments can become less effective, leading many patients to consider a partial or full joint replacement surgery. For patients who do not find relief with standard treatments and wish to avoid surgery, low-dose radiation therapy may be an alternative worth considering.
Low-Dose Radiation Therapy: A Re-Emerging Therapy for Severe Osteoarthritis
If you have advanced osteoarthritis, you may be looking for alternatives to prescription pain medications, which can have side effects such as fatigue, kidney or liver damage, and concerns about addiction. Radiation therapy for advanced osteoarthritis may be an option in these cases.
Low-dose radiation therapy is not a new treatment for osteoarthritis. It was developed decades ago and remains widely used in countries like Germany. In the United States, its use declined with the rise of pharmaceutical treatments after the 1980s, but it is now reemerging, due to its effectiveness as a non-drug approach for pain relief.
How Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Helps Relieve Osteoarthritis Symptoms
Low-dose radiation therapy reduces inflammation in affected joints, often leading to decreased pain and improved mobility. There are several additional benefits, including:
Painless, non-invasive treatment: Each session is quick, typically lasting only a few minutes, and requires no incisions.
Minimal side effects: The radiation dose is significantly lower than what is used to treat cancer.
Appropriate for most joints: Effective for many joints, including hands, fingers, knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, and spine.
Long-lasting results: Many patients (over 65%) experience symptom relief lasting up to two years, with the option for periodic re-administration if pain recurs or worsens.
Cost-effective care: This treatment is usually covered by insurance, making it a practical option for those seeking relief from osteoarthritis pain.
Well-suited for older patients: A safe alternative for patients with persistent osteoarthritis pain, especially if you hope to delay or avoid surgery.
Low-dose radiation therapy may not be suitable for everyone. Patients with osteoarthritis who are under 50 years old or those who have previously received radiation therapy treatment for cancer may not be ideal candidates. Consult with one of our radiation oncologists to determine if LD-RT is the right treatment for you.
What to Expect During Osteoarthritis Radiation Therapy
Low-dose radiation therapy is administered to the joints using a linear accelerator, which is the same device used for cancer treatment but adjusted to deliver a much lower dose. The radiation beams are precisely targeted at the affected joints while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue, resulting in few or no adverse side effects.
During the treatment, you will lie comfortably on a table while a radiation therapist positions you correctly. Remaining in the same position each time ensures that the radiation is directed at only the affected area. Treatments are quick, and multiple joints, such as those in the hands or ankles, can often be treated during the same visit.
Most patients receive six treatments over a span of two to three weeks, with each session lasting less than 10 minutes. Treatments are usually scheduled every other day or twice a week until the course of therapy is complete.
Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Osteoarthritis in Brevard County
If you are experiencing severe osteoarthritis pain and seeking non-addictive or non-surgical treatment options, the radiation oncologists at Cancer Care Centers of Brevard may be able to help. CCCB offers this treatment for arthritis patients at our radiation therapy locations in Brevard County, Florida.
Talk with your primary care physician, orthopedic doctor, rheumatologist, or pain specialist about getting a referral to one of our clinics. This will help us determine if radiation therapy is an appropriate approach for your osteoarthritis. You can also directly request an appointment with CCCB to find out whether low-dose radiation therapy could be an effective way to manage your osteoarthritis symptoms.
We have several cancer centers located throughout Brevard County, including Melbourne, Merritt Island, Palm Bay FL.