A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial found that a single course of low-dose radiation therapy significantly reduced pain and improved physical function in patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis over four months. The study enrolled 114 Korean patients who received either very low dose radiation (0.3 Gy), low dose radiation (3 Gy), or sham treatment, with the 3 Gy regimen showing superior results—70% of patients met responder criteria compared to 42% in the placebo group. The radiation doses used were less than 5% of those typical for cancer treatment, and no radiation-related side effects were observed.
The study’s rigorous design, which restricted other pain medications to acetaminophen only and included a sham control group, helped distinguish the therapy’s actual effects from placebo responses that commonly occur in osteoarthritis research. Researchers suggest low-dose radiation may serve as a middle-ground treatment option for patients with mild to moderate disease who want to delay joint replacement or avoid risks associated with stronger pain medications and surgery.
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