Low-Dose Radiotherapy Offers UK Osteoarthritis Patients Another Option Before Joint Replacement

Dr Richard Shaffer, GMC 4552635, is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and President of the International Organisation for Radiotherapy for Benign Conditions (IORBC), with over 3,000 patients treated.

Joint Pain Practice, led by consultant oncologist Dr Richard Shaffer, specialises in low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis across 15 UK centres.

Specialist-led low-dose radiotherapy is available across 15 UK centres, offering a proven alternative for persistent joint pain.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Joint Pain Practice, led by consultant radiotherapy specialist Dr Richard Shaffer, is raising awareness of low-dose radiotherapy as a safe, non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis. Operating across 15 UK centres, the practice gives patients with persistent joint pain access to a clinically supported option that many have never been offered or even heard of, covering conditions from knee and hip osteoarthritis to hand, wrist, thumb, shoulder, elbow, foot, and ankle joints.

Osteoarthritis affects millions of people across the UK, yet the standard treatment conversation rarely moves beyond painkillers, physiotherapy, injections, and the eventual prospect of surgery. Low-dose radiotherapy sits in a different category entirely. It is non-invasive, does not require needles or incisions, and works by delivering very small, precisely targeted doses of radiation to calm overactive cells that cause inflammation and joint pain. The treatment does not replace existing non-surgical treatments, but it offers a meaningful step forward for patients who have not found adequate relief through other methods, and for those who are not yet ready or eligible for surgery.

Low-dose radiotherapy is supported by more than 60 published clinical studies involving over 7,000 patients with osteoarthritis. Across these studies, around 75% of patients report meaningful improvements in pain and function following treatment. While results vary between individuals and between different joints, the evidence consistently shows that low-dose radiotherapy can provide significant symptom relief for many patients who have not responded adequately to other treatments.

A Condition Demanding Better Options
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the UK. Pain and inflammation in the joint begin long before significant structural damage occurs, and many patients spend years cycling through treatments that address symptoms without addressing the underlying inflammatory process.

Joint Pain Practice positions low-dose radiotherapy precisely here - as an option that works on the immune cells driving that inflammation, offering relief that is meaningful, lasting, and far less disruptive than surgery.

Who is this for?
● Low-dose radiotherapy may be particularly suitable for patients who:
● Continue to experience significant joint pain despite physiotherapy, exercise, pain medication or injections
● Are not yet ready for joint replacement surgery
● Are unsuitable for surgery
● Wish to explore additional treatment options before considering surgery

What Patients Can Expect
Each course of treatment consists of six short sessions, delivered on alternate weekdays over two to three weeks. Sessions typically take around ten minutes, with the radiation itself lasting only a minute or two. Patients are then reviewed after three months to assess their response and determine whether a second course of treatment would be beneficial.

The key points patients should know:
● Six sessions over two to three weeks, on alternate weekdays
● Each session takes roughly ten minutes; the radiotherapy itself is one to two minutes
● Completely painless, with no needles, injections or surgery
● Treatment involves two courses separated by approximately three months
● Targets the joint directly, protecting surrounding healthy tissue
● Suitable for multiple joint types, including knees, hips, hands, wrists, thumbs, elbows, shoulders, feet, and ankles

For many patients, treatment offers a straightforward alternative: it is quick, non-invasive, and does not require the recovery time that surgery does.

Specialist-Led, Nationally Accessible
All patients are seen personally by Dr Shaffer at consultation clinics in London, Guildford, and Nottingham. Following consultation, treatment can be delivered at any of 15 partner centres across the UK, allowing patients to receive specialist-led care closer to home, including:

● London Cromwell Hospital, 164 – 178 Cromwell Road, SW5 0TU
● London Wimbledon, Cancer Centre, London, 49 Parkside, SW19 5NB
● Guildford, GenesisCare Surrey, Rosalind Franklin Close, GU2 7AW
● Nottingham, The Park Centre Oncology, Sherwood Lodge Drive, NG5 8RX
● Plus centres in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Elstree, Maidstone, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Windsor

Dr Shaffer has treated over 3,000 patients with radiotherapy for benign conditions. He is also President of the International Organisation for Radiotherapy for Benign Conditions (IORBC) and has helped shape national guidance in this field.

“I highly recommend Dr Shaffer as a leading expert in his field. My treatment seems to have arrested both conditions, and it was carried out very easily in a lovely environment.” - Verified patient review, Top Doctors

Payment and Access
Joint Pain Practice is a private service. Consultation and treatment fees are available on request.
The practice works with most major UK private medical insurers. While coverage varies across providers and individual policies, the practice team can often indicate whether consultation and treatment are likely to be covered.

Book a First Consultation
Patients from across the UK are welcome to get in touch to find out whether low-dose radiotherapy may be appropriate for their condition. A first consultation with Dr Shaffer provides an opportunity to discuss symptoms, how they affect day-to-day life, previous treatments, and any relevant imaging or investigations.

Dr Shaffer will assess the condition and provide a clear opinion on whether low-dose radiotherapy is likely to be beneficial. Where radiotherapy is not considered the best option, patients will be advised accordingly and informed about alternative approaches that may be more suitable.

For people living with persistent joint pain who have not found meaningful relief through other treatments, a first consultation can be a useful starting point in understanding what options remain available.

Dr Richard Shaffer
Joint Pain Practice
+44 7584 532397
email us here

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