If Joint Pain is Holding You Back, Explore a Non-Invasive Option With Low-Dose Radiation Therapy
Are you tired of osteoarthritis pain limiting your life? Have you tried other treatments without lasting relief? While radiotherapy is commonly known as a cancer treatment, low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) is a non-invasive treatment option for many benign conditions like joint pain. LDRT may be the answer you've been searching for.
LDRT is an outpatient procedure that uses very low doses of radiation to reduce inflammation and pain in your joints. It's a safe and effective option that can help you regain your mobility and get back to doing what you love.
Benefits of low-dose radiation therapy include:
Reduced joint inflammation and significant pain relief.
Improved joint function and mobility.
Non-invasive and painless.
Outpatient procedure – no hospital stay.
Treatment takes only a few minutes per session.
Minimal side effects.
Covered by Medicare and many commercial insurance plans.
LDRT may be considered as a treatment option after you have tried non-pharmacologic approaches and topical pain relievers without success. It can be used to provide pain relief in the hands, fingers, knees, hips, ankles, shoulders, and spine. It’s also used with excellent results for plantar fasciitis, early Dupuytren’s contractures, and prevention of keloids and heterotopic bone formation.
LDRT would be administered by a radiation machine in six to eight treatment sessions, given either every other day or twice a week for two to three weeks. Each treatment takes only a few minutes, and multiple joints can be treated in the same session.
This treatment is painless and has minimal side effects. While receiving treatments, you can continue with your daily activities. Studies show that most patients saw improvement with relief lasting up to two years.
Sandy Sorum, age 78, recently completed low-dose radiation therapy at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center on her shoulder. She said that after having pain for a few years that got progressively worse over the last year because of "bone-on-bone arthritis," she decided she was willing to try LDRT because she did not want to have surgery.
Sandy said she was impressed at how quickly she started the LDRT after her consultation with Dr. Lisa Chaiken, Radiation Oncologist at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. The entire process was simple and there was no pain from the treatment. In fact, Sandy says that she could tell it was helping before her six treatments were done. Several weeks after being done, Sandy happily shares,
"The deep pain that was way inside my shoulder just went away. Before I could not move my arm way back behind my back or raise my arm up high, but today I have more mobility and can do these."
The June E. Nylen Cancer Center is proud to offer experienced, expert care to our community, providing patients with high-quality treatment options, including benign conditions close to home. If you think low-dose radiation therapy may be an option for you, talk to your doctor or call us at (712) 252-0088 to determine your eligibility.