When other treatments like medications, injections and physical therapy aren’t providing relief from osteoarthritis pain, Rush offers low-dose radiation therapy, or LDRT. This safe, effective treatment uses low doses of radiation to target inflammation in painful joints, reducing pain and improving your quality of life.
What Is Low-Dose Radiation Therapy?
Low-dose radiation therapy is a nonsurgical treatment for osteoarthritis pain. Over several short treatment sessions, experts target radiation at painful joints, reducing inflammation, leading to less pain and improved mobility. Radiation therapy for osteoarthritis uses significantly less radiation than radiation therapy to treat cancerous tumors, meaning there are minimal long-term side effects.
How Low-Dose Radiation Therapy Works
Low-dose radiation therapy reduces osteoarthritis pain by targeting inflammation in the joints. At low doses, radiation can ease inflammatory activity in the joints, improving pain over time.
This treatment does not repair damage osteoarthritis causes to joints but relieves symptoms and can improve your mobility and help you get back to the things you love.
Is LDRT Right For Me?
Low-dose radiation therapy is an effective treatment for painful osteoarthritis, but it may not be the best treatment for every patient. Schedule an appointment with a Rush expert to learn if LDRT is right for you. They’ll create a personalized treatment plan to address your osteoarthritis symptoms.
LDRT may be an option for you if:
- You have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. LDRT cannot treat other forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis.
- Anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroid injections are no longer providing pain relief
- You want to avoid joint replacement surgery, or are not a candidate for surgery
If you have advanced or “bone-on-bone" arthritis, low-dose radiation therapy may not be as effective.
Meet our low-dose radiation therapy providers
What to Expect During Treatment
- Consultation and treatment planning: You’ll meet with an expert radiation oncologist. They’ll explain the treatment process to you and answer any questions you have. You may have X-rays or other imaging tests to identify the best target for radiation therapy.
- Treatment sessions: You’ll have a series of radiation treatments over a few weeks. Each treatment is short, lasting around 15 minutes. You won’t feel anything during the treatment.
- Follow-up: After you complete your treatments, your care team will monitor your osteoarthritis symptoms. Most patients experience significant pain relief with one series of treatments, but you can receive repeat treatments if your symptoms return.
Choosing Rush for Low-Dose Radiation Therapy
- Innovative nonsurgical options: Rush is one of the few places in the Chicago area offering low-dose radiation therapy for osteoarthritis. This simple, noninvasive treatment can be an alternative to joint replacement surgery.
- Treatment on your schedule: Each low-dose radiation therapy session is short, lasting around 15 minutes, so you can get on with the rest of your day. Rush offers low-dose radiation therapy at convenient locations in Chicago, Oak Park, Aurora and Lisle.
- Personalized care: Rush’s expert radiation oncologists, orthopedists and other specialists will work with you to treat your osteoarthritis pain. They’ll develop a plan that works for your goals.
- Advanced technology: Our state-of-the-art linear accelerators deliver fast, precise and highly personalized radiation therapy.
FAQs About Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Osteoarthritis
Radiation therapy helps treat joint pain caused by osteoarthritis by reducing inflammation in and around the joint. Calming this inflammation can improve pain, swelling and stiffness.
Most patients feel pain relief within a few weeks of starting therapy. Many patients’ symptoms continue to improve in the weeks and months following treatment.
Most patients receive six treatments over the course of a few weeks.
Because low-dose radiation therapy uses small doses, there are usually no serious side effects. Rarely, patients may experience soreness and minor skin irritation after treatment.
Yes, low-dose radiation therapy is a safe and effective treatment. Low-dose radiation therapy uses 10 to 20 times less radiation than radiation treatment for cancer. Your team will carefully plan treatment to limit radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissue.
Yes. Insurance, including Medicare, generally covers low-dose radiation therapy for osteoarthritis. Coverage will depend on your insurance plan, so check with your insurance provider before beginning treatment.
