If your thumb joint hurts every time you grip something or twist a lid, you may have heard about many treatment options. But did you know that radiation therapy, a treatment often linked to cancer, was once used to help painful thumb arthritis?
This article explains a study that looked at how radiation helped people with different kinds of arthritis, including thumb arthritis. Researchers followed patients for many years and found some surprising results.
Here are three things you will learn:
- What radiation therapy did for people with thumb pain
- How well it worked compared to other body joints
- Why doctors today rarely use this treatment
Key Findings at a Glance
- Radiation therapy helped 63% of patients reduce their joint pain over a follow-up period of 4 years on average.
- For thumb arthritis specifically, 53% of patients experienced pain relief.
- Patients who had symptoms for 2 years or more before radiation therapy had less success.
- Only a small number of patients needed surgery after radiation treatment.
- The treatment had very low risk of side effects and was much less expensive than surgery.
What Is Rhizarthrosis?
Rhizarthrosis is a big word for arthritis at the base of your thumb. This is where your thumb meets your wrist. The medical name for this spot is the carpometacarpal joint, or CMC joint for short.
When this happens in your thumb, simple tasks become hard. Opening jars, turning keys, or even writing can hurt a lot. Many people try creams, splints, pain pills, and injections before they look for other answers.
What Did This Study Look At?
According to this study, researchers treated 85 patients with painful arthritis in different joints between 1984 and 1994. They used radiation therapy to try to reduce pain.
You may be wondering why radiation was ever used for arthritis. Radiation is energy that can calm down inflammation, or swelling, inside a joint. It is not the same as the high doses used for cancer. These were very small, gentle doses.
The researchers followed 73 patients for an average of 4 years. Some were followed for as long as 10 years. They wanted to see if the pain got better and stayed better.
Here is where it gets interesting. Among those 73 patients, 19 people had thumb arthritis. That is 20 thumb joints in total. All of these people had tried many other treatments for a long time before they came for radiation.
Research shows that the average time people had pain before getting radiation was 4 years. That is a long time to hurt every day.
How Was the Radiation Given?
Let us look closer at how the treatment worked. Doctors gave radiation in two series. Each series had 6 treatments. Each treatment was a dose of 1 Gy. That is a unit of radiation energy.
Patients got 3 treatments each week. After 6 treatments, they waited 6 weeks. Then they got 6 more treatments. The total dose was 12 Gy. This is much, much smaller than the dose used to treat cancer.
The radiation was aimed only at the sore joint. The rest of the body was protected.
What Happened to the Thumbs?
According to this study, out of the 19 patients with thumb arthritis, about 53% felt their pain get better. That means roughly half of the people felt relief.
Some people had major pain relief. Others had complete pain relief, meaning the pain went away entirely. The pain that improved the most was pain at rest. That is the ache you feel even when you are not using your thumb.
Doctors measured results in two ways. They asked patients how they felt. They also used a special scoring system for the thumb. This score looked at strength, movement, and daily activities. Studies indicate that 57% of the thumbs showed improvement on this score.
| Joint Type | Number of Joints | Pain Relief Success Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb (Rhizarthrosis) | 20 | 53% |
| Knee | 49 | 64% |
| Hip | 7 | 64% |
| Shoulder | 27 | 59% |
You can see that thumbs did not respond quite as well as knees or hips. But more than half still got better. That is a meaningful result for people who had already tried everything else.
How Did This Compare to Other Joints?
Research shows that larger joints like knees and hips responded better to radiation than thumbs. About 64% of knee and hip joints improved. Shoulder joints improved in 59% of cases.
Why did thumbs respond a little less? The study does not give a clear reason. It might be because the thumb joint is smaller. It might be because thumb arthritis is especially stubborn. Or it could be because people waited so long before trying radiation.
Who Was Helped the Most?
Here is where it gets interesting. The study found one important fact. People who had pain for 2 years or longer before getting radiation did not do as well. This was the only factor that predicted who would not improve.
This means that waiting a very long time may make the treatment less effective. The joint may have already changed too much.
Another important finding was about surgery. Some patients were hoping to avoid an operation. Out of 19 patients who wanted to skip surgery, only 9 ended up needing it later. And only 3 of those needed a joint replacement. That means radiation helped most people avoid the operating room.
Why Is This Not Used Today?
You may be wondering why you have never heard of this treatment. According to this study, radiation therapy for arthritis is almost replaced by other treatments today.
There are a few reasons. First, people became more cautious about any radiation exposure, even small amounts. Second, other treatments like injections, splints, and surgery improved a lot since the 1990s. Third, not many doctors today are trained in this technique.
The study authors point out that radiation had very low risk and low cost. But medical practice has moved in other directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does radiation therapy for thumb arthritis hurt?
No. According to this study, the treatment itself does not cause pain. Patients received low doses of radiation aimed at the joint. The process is similar to getting an X-ray.
How long did it take to feel better?
Research shows that doctors checked patients 6 months after treatment and then again years later. Many people felt improvement within the first 6 months. Pain at rest improved the most.
Is this treatment available today?
Radiation therapy for arthritis is rarely used now. Medical practice has shifted to other options like injections, therapy, splints, and surgery. Most doctors today do not offer this treatment.
Did everyone avoid surgery after radiation?
No. Studies indicate that 9 out of 19 patients who hoped to avoid surgery eventually needed it. But that also means more than half did avoid an operation, which is a significant benefit.
About This Site: We simplify medical science for people living with thumb pain and rhizarthrosis. Every article is based only on published scientific studies. We translate complicated research into words anyone can understand. Feel free to explore more articles on our site to learn what science says about your condition.
Conclusion
This study shows that radiation therapy helped about half of the people with painful thumb arthritis. It worked even better for larger joints like knees and hips. The treatment was safe, low cost, and helped many people avoid surgery.
But people who waited more than 2 years to try it did not do as well. That suggests earlier treatment might be more helpful.
Today, this treatment is rarely offered. Other options have taken its place. But it is good to know that research once supported radiation as a real choice for stubborn thumb pain.
If your thumb hurts and nothing seems to help, talk with your doctor. Ask about all the options that are available now, including injections, therapy, and surgery. Every person is different, and the right treatment for you depends on your own situation.
Disclaimer
This article is for information only. It is not medical advice. It does not replace a visit with your doctor. Always talk to a healthcare professional about your symptoms and treatment options. Do not start or stop any treatment based only on what you read here.
Study Citation
Authors: Keilholz, L.; Seegenschmiedt, H.; Sauer, R.
Year: 1998
Publication: Strahlenther Onkol
Title: Radiotherapy for painful degenerative joint disorders. Indications, technique and clinical results
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03038716
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