UK practice expands access to low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis

Joint Pain Practice is using 15 UK centres to promote low-dose radiotherapy as a non-surgical option for people with persistent osteoarthritis pain. The treatment is supported by published studies and is being positioned for patients who have not improved with standard care or who are not ready for joint replacement. Why it matters: - Osteoarthritis affects millions of people in the UK, and many patients still cycle through painkillers, physiotherapy, injections and eventual surgery without enough relief. - Low-dose radiotherapy offers another non-invasive option before joint replacement for patients with persistent joint pain. - The treatment may matter most for people who have not responded to standard non-surgical care or who are not suitable for surgery. What happened: - Joint Pain Practice, led by consultant radiotherapy specialist Dr Richard Shaffer, is raising awareness of low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis. - The practice operates across 15 UK centres. - Consultation clinics are in London, Guildford and Nottingham. - Treatment is available for osteoarthritis in the knee, hip, hand, wrist, thumb, shoulder, elbow, foot and ankle. The details: - Low-dose radiotherapy is non-invasive and does not require needles or incisions. - The treatment delivers very small, precisely targeted doses of radiation to calm overactive cells linked to inflammation and joint pain. - Each course includes six short sessions over two to three weeks, on alternate weekdays. - Each session takes about ten minutes, with the radiation itself lasting one to two minutes. - Patients are reviewed after three months to assess response and decide whether a second course may help. - The practice says the treatment is painless, targets the joint directly and protects surrounding healthy tissue. - Low-dose radiotherapy is supported by more than 60 published clinical studies involving more than 7,000 osteoarthritis patients. - About 75% of patients in those studies reported meaningful improvements in pain and function. - Dr Shaffer has treated more than 3,000 patients with radiotherapy for benign conditions. - Dr Shaffer is president of the International Organisation for Radiotherapy for Benign Conditions and has helped shape national guidance in the field. - The practice is private and charges consultation and treatment fees on request. - Joint Pain Practice works with most major UK private medical insurers, although coverage depends on the insurer and policy. Between the lines: - The push reflects a gap between common first-line care and the point at which surgery becomes the main remaining option. - The evidence base cited is substantial for a niche treatment, but outcomes still vary by patient and by joint. - The service is being presented as a specialist-led path to treatment that patients may not have been offered before. - A verified patient review on Top Doctors said Dr Shaffer’s treatment was carried out “very easily” in a “lovely environment.” What’s next: - Patients across the UK can book a first consultation to discuss symptoms, prior treatments and any imaging or investigations. - Dr Shaffer will assess whether low-dose radiotherapy is likely to help and point patients to alternatives if it is not the best option. - If treatment is appropriate, patients can receive care at partner centres in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Elstree, Maidstone, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton and Windsor, as well as London, Guildford and Nottingham. The bottom line: - Joint Pain Practice is betting that better awareness of low-dose radiotherapy will give osteoarthritis patients a practical step before surgery.