Khaberni - Researchers in Korea are testing a promising treatment for knee arthritis using low-dose radiation, a degenerative disease causing pain, swelling, and joint stiffness that worsens over time.
The study was announced at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), confirming that a single course of radiation therapy could be a safe and effective option for patients.
The study involved 114 patients with mild to moderate knee inflammation, and they were divided into three groups: very low radiation, low radiation, and placebo, with only paracetamol allowed as a pain reliever.
Participants underwent six sessions, and researchers assessed improvements in pain, physical function, stiffness, and mobility. No side effects related to treatment were recorded, according to "Fox News".
Encouraging Results Against Placebo
Four months after treatment:
70% of participants in the low-dose group showed significant improvement, compared to 42% in the placebo group, while the very low-dose group showed an improvement of 58.3%, and 56.8% of patients in the low-dose group improved in pain, stiffness, and physical function compared to 30.6% in the placebo.
The study confirmed that the improvement from low-dose radiation surpasses the effect of the placebo.
Dr. Byung Hee Kim, Assistant Lecturer in Radiation Oncology, said: "Patients with painful knee inflammation often face a difficult choice between painkillers that may cause side effects or undergoing joint replacement surgery. There's a need for interventions that are a middle ground between weak painkillers and surgery, and we believe that low-dose radiation could be a suitable option, especially for patients who cannot tolerate medications or injections."
He mentioned that radiation therapy will not rebuild cartilage in severe cases but can delay the need for surgery in patients with mild to moderate inflammation.
Integrating Treatment with a Healthy Lifestyle
The researcher emphasized that radiation should be integrated with weight loss, physical therapy, and medications to improve outcomes, noting that patient satisfaction is higher when these methods are combined with radiation therapy.
Future Steps
The research team explained that the study faces limitations, notably the short follow-up period, and they plan to conduct larger trials to evaluate the outcomes of low-dose radiation compared to traditional drug treatments on specific patient groups.
