If you have pain at the base of your thumb, you are not alone. Many people suffer from a condition called rhizarthrosis. This is a type of arthritis that affects the joint where your thumb meets your hand. The joint is also called the carpometacarpal joint.
Doctors have been looking for ways to help patients who have this painful condition. One option is low dose radiotherapy. This is a gentle form of treatment that uses small amounts of energy rays to calm down pain and swelling.
A recent study looked at how well this treatment works. The researchers also looked at something surprising. They found that the size of the treatment area, called the field size, may make a big difference.
Here are three key points from this study:
- About 70 percent of patients felt better after treatment.
- A larger treatment field size worked better than a smaller one.
- Older patients tended to respond better to the treatment.
Key Findings at a Glance
- Research shows that about 70 percent of patients with thumb arthritis felt better after low dose radiotherapy.
- A larger treatment field size (bigger than 6 x 4 centimeters) was more effective than smaller fields.
- Older patients were more likely to respond well to the treatment.
- If pain got worse at the start of treatment, it predicted that the treatment might not work as well.
- The treatment was given in 6 sessions, each using 1 Gy of radiation, twice a week.
In This Article
What Is Rhizarthrosis and Why Does It Hurt?
Rhizarthrosis is a medical word for arthritis at the base of the thumb. The word sounds complicated, but the meaning is simple.
This condition is very common. It often happens as people get older. The joint gets used a lot every day when you grip, pinch, or twist things.
When you have rhizarthrosis, you may feel pain when you use your thumb. You may also feel pain even when you are resting. The pain can make everyday tasks very hard.
What Is Low Dose Radiotherapy?
You may have heard of radiotherapy for cancer. But low dose radiotherapy is different.
According to this study, low dose radiotherapy uses very small amounts of radiation. The goal is not to kill cells. Instead, the goal is to calm down swelling and pain in joints.
The treatment is gentle and safe. Doctors have used it for many years to help people with painful joints.
How Did the Study Work?
Let us look closer at what the researchers did.
The study looked at 84 patients. These patients had 101 thumb joints with arthritis. Some people had arthritis in both thumbs.
Here is where it gets interesting. The doctors treated the patients with a machine called a linear accelerator. This machine sends out the low dose radiation.
Each patient got 6 treatment sessions. Each session used 1 Gy of radiation. A Gy is a unit that measures radiation dose. The sessions happened two times a week.
After treatment, the doctors checked how the patients were doing. They checked at the end of treatment, then 3 months later, and then 1 year later.
What Did the Results Show?
Research shows that the treatment helped many patients.
At the end of therapy, about 70 percent of patients reported feeling better. They had either partial remission or complete remission. Remission means the pain got less or went away.
Three months after treatment, about 60 percent still felt better. One year after treatment, 70 percent of patients still had relief.
You may be wondering why some people felt better and some did not. The researchers looked for patterns to answer this question.
| Time After Treatment | Percent of Patients Who Felt Better |
|---|---|
| End of therapy | About 70% |
| 3 months later | About 60% |
| 1 year later | About 70% |
Why Does Field Size Matter?
This is the most important finding of the study. The size of the treatment area made a big difference.
According to this study, a field size bigger than 6 x 4 centimeters worked better. A field size is the area of your body that gets treated with the radiation.
Patients who got a larger treatment field had better results. They were more likely to feel relief from their pain.
This finding is surprising. For other conditions, doctors usually use smaller fields. But for thumb arthritis, a bigger field seems to work better.
The researchers think this may be because arthritis affects more than just the joint itself. It may also affect the tissues around the joint. Treating a larger area may help calm down all of the swelling.
Who Responds Best to This Treatment?
The study looked at many different factors. The researchers wanted to know who would respond best to the treatment.
Age Makes a Difference
Studies indicate that older patients tended to respond better. If you are older, you may have a better chance of feeling relief from this treatment.
What About Pain at the Start?
Some patients felt more pain when they first started treatment. This is called an initial increase of pain.
According to medical evidence, if your pain got worse at the start, it was a sign that the treatment might not work as well for you. This does not mean the treatment will not help at all. It just means it may be less likely to work.
What Did Not Matter?
Here is where it gets interesting. Many things did not affect how well the treatment worked.
- How long the treatment series lasted (more than 18 days or less)
- Whether you are male or female
- How long you had symptoms before treatment
- Whether you had pain during activity or at rest
- Whether you used braces, injections, or had surgery before
This means that even if you have had symptoms for a long time, or if you already tried other treatments, this therapy may still help you.
The Two Most Important Factors
When the researchers looked at all the factors together, only two were very important:
- Field size bigger than 6 x 4 centimeters
- Whether pain increased at the start of treatment
These two factors were highly correlated with treatment outcome. This means they had a strong connection to whether patients felt better.
About This Site
We know that medical research can be hard to understand. That is why this site exists.
Our goal is simple. We take real scientific articles about thumb pain and rhizarthrosis and explain them in plain language. We only use published studies from medical journals. We never invent facts.
If you found this article helpful, we invite you to explore more content on our site. You can learn about other treatments, understand your symptoms better, and find hope for relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does low dose radiotherapy hurt?
According to this study, the treatment itself does not hurt. You lie down and the machine sends gentle rays to your thumb. Some patients felt more pain at the start of treatment, but this was a small group. Most patients tolerated the treatment well.
How long does the treatment take?
The treatment series includes 6 sessions. Each session happens twice a week. This means the full treatment takes about 3 weeks. Each individual session is quick and does not take long.
Will the pain relief last?
Research shows that about 70 percent of patients still felt better one year after treatment. This suggests that the relief can last for a long time. However, every person is different.
Can I try this treatment if I already had surgery or injections?
Yes. According to this study, prior use of braces, injections, or surgery did not affect how well the radiotherapy worked. This means you can still try this treatment even if you tried other options before.
Conclusion
If you have thumb arthritis, low dose radiotherapy may be a helpful option for you.
The research is clear. About 70 percent of patients felt better after treatment. The relief can last for months or even a year.
The most important finding is that a larger treatment field works better. If you and your doctor decide to try this treatment, ask about the field size. A field bigger than 6 x 4 centimeters may give you better results.
You deserve relief from your pain. Talk to your doctor about whether low dose radiotherapy is right for you. This treatment has helped many people, and it may help you too.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any new treatment. Your doctor can help you decide what is best for your specific situation.
Scientific Source
This article is based on the following published research:
Authors: Kaltenborn, A.; Bulling, E.; Nitsche, M.; Carl, U. M.; Hermann, R. M.
Publication: Strahlenther Onkol (2016)
Title: The field size matters: low dose external beam radiotherapy for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis : Importance of field size
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-016-0995-7
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