Treating Advanced Osteoarthritis With Low-Dose Radiation Therapy

There are various pharmaceutical options for treating advanced osteoarthritis; however, they may become less effective over time. Low-dose radiation therapy is known to offer relief to individuals suffering from advanced arthritis. While not a new treatment for osteoarthritis, it is becoming more common in the United States due to its effectiveness in managing osteoarthritis pain and inflammation without the use of drug therapies.

We offer this treatment to those suffering from osteoarthritis at our Radiation Therapy Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, making it accessible for patients seeking advanced arthritis solutions.

Understanding Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis caused by the degeneration of protective joint cartilage. Over time, degeneration can lead to pain and bone-on-bone contact.

Millions of people in the United States suffer from osteoarthritis, and this number is expected to increase as the American population ages. There are several risk factors associated with osteoarthritis:

• Age: affecting older adults, typically over the age of 50
• Gender: women are more likely to have osteoarthritis than men
• Being overweight
• Overuse from repetitive motion or stress on the joint
• Family history 
• Personal history of joint injury/damage      

Osteoarthritis commonly affects the hands, knees, hips, and spine, but other joints can also be affected. Symptoms may include: 

• Stiffness
•  Pain
• Limited flexibility and mobility
• Swelling around the joint
• Increased sensitivity to touch
• A grating sensation during joint use

Osteoarthritis worsens over time as a progressive condition. Unfortunately, it has no cure, but it can be managed with treatment. 

Treatments Commonly Used for Osteoarthritis 

Because the joint cartilage cannot regenerate, arthritis treatment typically focuses on relieving symptoms. Initially, over-the-counter medications, physical therapy, and lifestyle adjustments, including physical activity and weight management, are used to treat osteoarthritis.

There can still be pain in the joints that progressively gets worse, leading to treatments such as prescription medications, cortisone injections, and joint replacement surgery.

Patients with advanced osteoarthritis often seek alternatives to pain medications due to potential side effects such as fatigue, kidney or liver damage, and addiction. Additionally, most patients prefer to avoid joint replacement surgery unless it’s absolutely necessary. In cases like this, radiation therapy for arthritis may be a suitable option. 

Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Re-emerges for Treating Patients With Osteoarthritis

Low-dose radiation therapy was developed decades ago as a method for treating arthritis. Although it continued as a common treatment for osteoarthritis in Europe, in the 1980s, its use in the United States stalled as more pharmaceutical arthritis treatments became available. As more and more people move away from the continuous use of pharmaceuticals for pain management, low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) has become more popular for patients with more advanced osteoarthritis.

Advantages of Relieving Osteoarthritis Symptoms With Low-Dose Radiation Therapy

Low-dose radiation therapy is proving effective at reducing inflammation, which leads to better mobility and pain relief in osteoarthritis patients. Some benefits of this therapy include:

• Minimal side effects: Low doses of radiation typically do not cause the same side effects as higher doses used for cancer treatment.
• Painless treatment: Sessions are short, non-invasive, typically lasting only a few minutes.
• Long-lasting effects: The benefits of treatment may last up to two years, with the option for periodic follow-up treatments, if necessary.
• Mechanism of action: Studies suggest low-dose radiation therapy relieves pain by modulating inflammatory pathways, which could help slow the degeneration process. 
• Cost-effective: Many insurance plans cover this treatment, making it accessible for osteoarthritis patients seeking pain relief.
• Safe for older patients: LD-RT can be administered to various parts of the body, such as the hands, fingers, knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, or spine, helping older patients with persistent osteoarthritis that has not been relieved with other treatments. If you have more than one joint with advanced arthritis it may be possible to treat all of them during your session. 

Due to the low dose of x-ray irradiation, the risk of developing secondary cancers such as thyroid, colon, soft tissue, or leukemia is low. Patients should speak to their doctor about any concerns, but for many, the benefits of this treatment outweigh the long-term risks. 

What to Expect From the Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Procedure

The same device used to administer radiation therapy for cancer is also used for treating osteoarthritis. The primary difference is the amount of radiation given in each treatment. Arthritis requires only a few sessions of low-dose radiation for the treatment to be effective compared to the amount of radiation needed for cancer treatment.

A machine called a linear accelerator is positioned outside of your body and does not come into contact with your skin. You will lay still while the radiation beams are precisely directed at the affected joints, avoiding damage to the surrounding normal tissue. Multiple joints, such as those in the hand, knee, or ankle, can be treated in a single session.

Typically, low-dose radiation therapy for osteoarthritis requires only a few treatments over two to three weeks. Multiple joints can be treated in the same session, and each treatment session takes less than 10 minutes to complete.