Drug-free relief for aching joints
At low doses, radiation has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. For osteoarthritis of the hands, knees, shoulders, and other joints, a short course of gentle, targeted radiation can reduce pain and stiffness — often when injections, physical therapy, or medications haven't given lasting relief. There's no anesthesia, no cutting, and no downtime.
Joints and conditions treated
- Osteoarthritis of the hands, fingers, and thumb
- Knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow arthritis
- Heel pain and plantar fasciitis
- Other painful degenerative joint conditions
What to expect
Brief sessions
Treatment is delivered in a handful of short, painless visits.
Gentle dose
Doses are low and well tolerated, with minimal side effects.
Gradual relief
Many patients notice improvement in the weeks following treatment.
What research shows
Recent published data (Makarova et al., Russian Open Medical Journal 2023;12:e0304) followed 292 people with osteoarthritis. Those who received a short orthovoltage low-dose radiation course (4.5 Gy in 10 treatments) plus usual medicines had lower rates of disability than medicines alone (9.5% vs 17.8%; adjusted hazard ratio 0.24). Updates presented in the ASTRO 2026 timeframe describe longer follow-up with fewer joint replacements in milder (KL grade 2) disease, and point toward a larger multicentre sham-controlled trial next.
Separate short-term sham-controlled work in knee OA (LoRD-KNeA) has also reported meaningful pain and function responses for many patients. Research results are not a guarantee of your outcome. Ask our team whether LDRT fits your joint and goals.
See if LDRT can help
Talk with our team about low-dose radiation for your joint pain.