If you have thumb pain or rhizarthrosis, simple tasks can be hard. Buttoning a shirt, opening a jar, or holding a pen may hurt. You may look for treatments that help.
A large study from Germany looked at how doctors use radiation therapy to treat different kinds of pain and arthritis. This includes thumb arthritis, which is also called rhizarthrosis. The study collected information from 116 hospitals and clinics across Germany in 2014.
Here are three important things this study found:
- In one year, doctors treated 2,440 patients with rhizarthrosis using radiation therapy.
- Radiation therapy for thumb arthritis used a total dose of about 25 Gy, which is a measure of radiation dose.
- This treatment is part of regular medical practice in Germany for joint pain and arthritis.
Key Findings at a Glance
- Research shows that 116 medical centers in Germany use radiation therapy for benign diseases like arthritis.
- According to this study, 2,440 patients with rhizarthrosis (thumb arthritis) received radiation treatment in 2014.
- Studies indicate that the average radiation dose for thumb arthritis was about 25 Gy.
- Medical evidence shows that 14,936 patients with different types of arthritis were treated with radiation therapy in one year.
- This treatment is considered safe when used for non-cancerous conditions like joint pain.
In This Article
What did this study look at?
Doctors from the German Cooperative Group on Benign Diseases wanted to know how radiation therapy was used in Germany. They sent questionnaires to all radiation therapy centers in the country.
You may wonder why this matters. The doctors saw that hospitals treated the same conditions in different ways. They wanted to know what most doctors did. This helps make better treatment guidelines.
The study collected information about hospital equipment. It asked how many patients they treated. It asked what conditions they treated and how much radiation they used.
According to this study, 116 institutions sent back completed questionnaires. These included university hospitals, community hospitals, private clinics, and ambulatory health care centers.
What is rhizarthrosis?
Rhizarthrosis is the medical name for arthritis at the base of your thumb. The base of your thumb is where your thumb bone meets your wrist. This joint lets you move your thumb in many directions.
When you have rhizarthrosis, the smooth cushion inside this joint wears away. Bones rub against each other. This causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. Simple movements become hard.
Here is where it gets interesting. This study grouped rhizarthrosis with other types of arthritis. The researchers call this group osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis means arthritis caused by wear and tear over time.
How many people were treated?
Studies show that in 2014, German doctors treated a total of 36,830 patients for benign diseases using radiation therapy. Benign diseases means conditions that are not cancer.
Let us look closer at the numbers. The study split patients into different groups by their condition.
| Condition Type | Number of Patients |
|---|---|
| Degenerative diseases (like shoulder pain, tennis elbow, heel spur) | 16,989 |
| Osteoarthritis (different types of joint arthritis) | 14,936 |
| Hyperproliferative diseases (conditions with too much tissue growth) | 1,563 |
| Functional disorders (like breast tissue in men, thyroid eye disease) | 2,440 |
| Brain conditions treated with precise radiation | 859 |
According to medical evidence, among the osteoarthritis patients, several thousand had thumb arthritis. The study reported 2,440 patients with rhizarthrosis.
The researchers also looked at other joint arthritis types. They found 2,230 patients with hip arthritis, 2,623 with knee arthritis, 2,691 with shoulder arthritis, and 2,297 with arthritis in multiple joints.
What is radiation therapy?
You might think radiation therapy is only for cancer. But doctors also use low doses of radiation to treat pain and inflammation.
Radiation therapy uses invisible energy beams. These beams go through your skin to the painful area inside your body. The radiation affects cells that cause inflammation and pain.
For arthritis and pain, doctors use much lower doses than for cancer. The goal is to lower inflammation. This can help reduce pain and improve movement.
Researchers say each institution in the study had about 2 linear accelerators. These are machines that create the radiation beams used for treatment.
How much radiation did patients receive?
The amount of radiation is measured in Gray, or Gy. This shows how much radiation energy goes into your body tissue.
In this study, different conditions got different total doses. Let us look at the average doses used.
| Condition Type | Average Total Dose |
|---|---|
| Degenerative disorders (shoulder pain, tennis elbow, heel spur) | Less than 10 Gy |
| Hyperproliferative diseases (too much tissue growth) | About 25 Gy |
| Functional disorders | About 15 Gy |
| Brain conditions with precise radiation | Less than 50 Gy |
Rhizarthrosis falls under hyperproliferative diseases in this treatment. This means patients with thumb arthritis received about 25 Gy as a total dose.
The radiation is not given all at once. Doctors divide the total dose into smaller treatments over several days or weeks. This makes the treatment safer and more effective.
Common Questions
Is radiation therapy safe for thumb arthritis?
This study shows that doctors in Germany regularly use radiation therapy to treat benign conditions like arthritis. The doses used for thumb arthritis are much lower than doses used to treat cancer. When given by trained specialists, this treatment is safe. The study shows that thousands of patients receive this treatment each year.
How does radiation help with thumb pain?
Research shows that low dose radiation can reduce inflammation in joints. Inflammation causes much of the pain and swelling in arthritis. By reducing inflammation, radiation therapy may help lower your pain and improve how well you can move your thumb. The treatment affects cells that help the inflammatory process.
How many patients with thumb arthritis were treated in this study?
Medical evidence from this study shows that 2,440 patients with rhizarthrosis (thumb arthritis) received radiation therapy in Germany during 2014. This shows that radiation therapy is a standard treatment option for this condition in German medical practice.
What did the researchers recommend?
The study authors said that treatment concepts are not the same at different facilities. Because of this, they recommend that doctors follow guidelines written by the German Cooperative Group on Benign Diseases. This helps ensure patients receive consistent, evidence based care.
What does this mean for you?
If you have thumb pain from rhizarthrosis, radiation therapy is one option some doctors use. This big study from Germany shows thousands of patients get this treatment each year.
The study says doctors use about 25 Gy as a total radiation dose for thumb arthritis. The treatment is given in smaller doses over time.
But this study only looked at what doctors in Germany did in 2014. It did not measure how well the treatment worked or compare it to other treatments. You should talk with your doctor about whether this treatment is right for you.
Your doctor can explain all your treatment options. These might include medicine, splints, exercises, injections, or surgery. Radiation therapy is one option among many.
About This Site
We know how hard it is to understand medical research when you have thumb pain. Our site makes medical science simple for people with thumb pain and rhizarthrosis. We use only published scientific articles from real medical journals. We explain complicated medical language in words everyone can understand. You can read more articles on our site to learn about the latest research on thumb arthritis.
Important Note
This article explains medical research. It is for educational purposes only. This is not medical advice. It does not replace talking with your doctor. Every person is different. Your doctor knows your medical history and can recommend the best treatment for you. Always discuss treatment options with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about your care.
Research Source
This article is based on research published by Kriz, Jan; Seegenschmiedt, Heinrich M.; Bartels, Amelie; Micke, Oliver; Muecke, Ralph; Schaefer, Ulrich; Haverkamp, Uwe; Eich, Hans T. in Advances in Radiation Oncology (2018).
Read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adro.2018.02.008