Schmerzbestrahlung (Low dose radiation therapy)

[keith2011 2,648]

Hi

I have been advised by my Orthopaedist  to take a course of Schmerzbestrahlung   for pain in my thumb (it really does hurt and limits what I can do with my right hand) caused by minor arthritis. I have to say I am a bit sceptical about this treatment and google is not much help, several studies say it is totally ineffective but others claim good results.

If anyone has had this treatment for arthritis or knowledge of it  I would be most grateful for any information you can share on it.

[lunasuenos 84]

My wife had this for terrible shoulder pain over several. In usa treatment was cortizone and pain pills..which both did not work at all. The low does radiation worked miracles and almost completely eliminated a years ling problem. Keep in mind shoulder and not thumb. She went 5 times actual treatment is about 1-2 min each time. There is no risk to this as the radiation is super low and should probably be used more than it is. 

[Metall 14,539]

Radiation treatment suppresses the local inflammation, which is what cortisone and other arthritis medication attempt to do, but with noticeable side effects.

[keith2011 2,648]

Thanks for the responses, I'm going to give it a try and have my first appointment next Tuesday. I will update here on how it goes.

[fraufruit 42,166]

Good luck and I hope it helps!

[keith2011 2,648]

So far I have had 3 of the planned 6 treatments which take about 20 seconds with usually a 30 minute wait, the appointments do not start on time.

No improvement yet.

[keith2011 2,648]

I completed the last of the 6 treatments this week, sad to report there has been no improvement in the problem.  I still feel pain when moving my thumb and severe pain when gripping things in my right hand. The snake oil didn't work either.

[fraufruit 42,166]

So sorry to hear that. I had the same hope that you had. 

[keith2011 2,648]

Just got the bill, 6 treatments each lasting about 20 seconds plus a short chat with a doctor before and after (by telephone after) for over €950,- !

Seems kind of expensive when you consider I could have got at least 10 hours physiotherapy  probably for a bit less.

[catjones 1,691]

1 hour ago, keith2011 said:

Seems kind of expensive

 

But, would have been worth it if successful?  The uncertainty of the human body can't be accounted for.

 

@   €158/session, what should the price be for medical treatment?  It's not the time you pay for, it's the cost of machine, overhead and staff.

 

If this is what you have, there's no mention of radiation.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/thumb-arthritis#:~:text=As%20this%20joint%20becomes%20worn,to%20perform%20even%20simple%20tasks.

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thumb-arthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20378344

 

 

"  Patients with an involvement of the thumb showed a significantly worse outcome compared to patients with an isolated affection of the fingers.  "

" Our detailed retrospective analyses have indicated that LDRT, particularly with a single dose per fraction of 0.5 Gy, improves pain levels in irradiated fingers, but not in the thumb. "

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7461565/

 

 

[keith2011 2,648]

8 hours ago, catjones said:

"  Patients with an involvement of the thumb showed a significantly worse outcome compared to patients with an isolated affection of the fingers.  "

 

Based on that and the links you posted it would seem I was poorly advised both by my orthopaedist  and the radiologist at the clinic (who claimed the therapy was 70% successful) to take an expensive course of treatment that was unlikely to be successful. Hopefully my medical insurance will pick up their full 80% but my 20% on top of the bill from the orthopaedist is still for me a hefty amount. Whether or not it would have been worth it if successful is beside the point it wasn't so I think I am entitled to have a moan about it.

[catjones 1,691]

2 hours ago, keith2011 said:

I was poorly advised

 

If it were me, I'd confront the doctors with copies of the links I provided and urge them to consider these results for future patients like you.

[keith2011 2,648]

Just an update on this, a friend who is a fitness trainer recommended I try a thumb brace. I bought one and it immobilises the thumb below the first joint. I used it 24x7 initially for about 2 weeks, which greatly reduced the pain resulting from day to day movement of thumb and steadily it has improved to the point where now even without the brace normal movement is pain free and when gripping things hard much reduced. I am now only using the brace at night, it cost €65.

[fraufruit 42,166]

So happy for you!!!

[Keleth 9,315]

On 4/13/2023, 2:44:14, keith2011 said:

Just got the bill, 6 treatments each lasting about 20 seconds plus a short chat with a doctor before and after (by telephone after) for over €950,- !

Seems kind of expensive when you consider I could have got at least 10 hours physiotherapy  probably for a bit less.

When the wife was in chemo she was also having radiation therapy and the clinic that did that also did the strahlung therapy as well (it´s not radiation, it´s some sort of strom) and every time we were there they´d try to get her to have a few courses of it on her hands. They were not sure if her insurance would cover it and when we saw the prices for it she decided they could go f**k themselves.

It seems to be one of those therapies like acupuncture that some people swear by but on many people makes absolutely no difference.