What You’re Fighting: Conditions LDRT can treat

Gentle Healing With X‑Rays: Low‑Dose Radiation Therapy at Heelex

What is LDRT and Why Do We Use It?

At Heelex Medical (Knoxville, TN and Surprise, AZ), physicians offer low-dose X‑ray therapy—also known as LDRT—as a non-invasive, painless outpatient treatment for a variety of benign conditions, from chronic joint inflammation to early skin cancers. This approach harnesses low-energy radiation to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair, and ease pain, without resorting to surgery or strong medications.

Key conditions treated include:

• Osteoarthritis (joints like knees, hips, hands, shoulders)

• Plantar fasciitis & heel spurs

• Tendonitis and bursitis (e.g. tennis elbow, frozen shoulder)

• Dupuytren’s contracture, Ledderhose disease, Peyronie’s disease

• Persistent warts, keloids, and psoriasis

• Early-stage basal or squamous cell skin cancers in delicate areas where surgery isn’t ideal.

How Does LDRT Work?

While not fully understood, research suggests that LDRT delivers small doses of radiation (often 0.5–1.0 Gy per session, totaling 2–6 Gy over several treatments). These doses are much lower than those used in cancer therapy but trigger immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory processes, such as:

• Downregulating inflammatory cytokines,

• Modulating macrophage activity to calm inflammation,

• Promoting tissue regeneration and reducing swelling and pain.

Effects typically begin within days, with improvements often building over several weeks post-treatment. Approximately 60–80 % of patients respond significantly to a first course; if needed, a second round may be offered for enhanced results.

What to Expect: From First Visit to Follow-Up

1. Consultation & Simulation

Patients meet with a physician (or via referral) and undergo imaging—usually X‑ray—to map the target area. A customized treatment plan is created by a team including a physician, medical physicist, and certified therapist.

2. Treatment Sessions

Each session typically takes under 15 minutes (about 5 minutes of radiation delivery). Treatments are painless, and patients lie comfortably while the precise dose is delivered. Monitoring is conducted remotely via audio/video.

3. Post-Treatment & Follow‑Up

No recovery downtime is required. Patients may resume normal daily activities immediately. Some mild redness or skin dryness is possible but usually short-lived. Follow-up visits assess symptom relief and determine if additional treatment is needed.

Benefits & Safety Profile

• Non-invasive and painless—no stitches or downtime.

• Quick—each session lasts minutes; minimal clinic time.

• Insurance friendly—many plans (including Medicare Advantage) accepted, staff verify coverage beforehand.

• Efficacy comparable to surgery—especially in conditions like warts or early skin lesions, with high cure rates over 90% reported.

• Low risk—side effects are mild and rare; German experience spanning decades reports no cases of secondary cancer following LDRT for osteoarthritis.

How Heelex Implements LDRT

Heelex combines cutting-edge technology and a multidisciplinary care team to deliver LDRT with precision and empathy. Physicians, physicists, and certified radiation therapists collaborate to customize treatments based on each patient’s health and goals. From Knoxville to Arizona, the center emphasizes safe, effective care tailored for benign, often chronic conditions—helping patients avoid more invasive procedures.

Why It Matters

For many people, chronic inflammation and tissue overgrowth are stubbornly resistant to medications, physical therapy, or injections—and surgery can carry risks or long recovery times. LDRT offers a compelling middle path:

• It addresses early-stage conditions (e.g., grade 1–3 osteoarthritis, nodular Dupuytren’s) with minimal intervention.

• It’s ideal for patients unable or unwilling to undergo surgery, including older adults or those with healing challenges.

• It often reduces or replaces regular intake of pain medications (e.g. NSAIDs), avoiding their long-term side effects.

Final Thoughts

Low-dose radiation therapy—especially as practiced at Heelex—is an emerging non-surgical, low-risk alternative for treating benign conditions with an inflammatory component. By leveraging small X‑ray doses to modulate immune behavior, stimulate tissue repair, and reduce pain, it offers patients a path to improved function and quality of life—often without surgery, pills, or downtime.

Curious if LDRT could help your condition? Heelex offers virtual consultations and in‑office planning visits in Knoxville or Surprise, tailored to your needs. Reach out to learn about insurance, timelines, and next steps.