Use of X-rays to treat shoulder tendonitis/bursitis: a historical assessment.

This research paper provides a historical assessment of using radiotherapy, specifically X-ray treatment, to treat shoulder tendonitis/bursitis in both human and veterinary cases between the years of 1936 and 1974 in the USA.

Method of study

• The researchers evaluated clinical case studies spanning over the course of its usage period.While human X-ray treatment ranged from 1936-1961, it was used in veterinary medicine between 1954 and 1974.
• Around 3,500 human cases were studied that were reported in around 30 articles. The goal was to assess the therapeutic efficiency of ionizing radiation for the treatment of shoulder tendonitis/bursitis.

Results and Findings

• The results suggested a high efficacy of X-ray treatment in relieving shoulder tendonitis, with a success rate of over 90%. This therapy also seemed to be effective with a single treatment session.
• The effect of the treatment was usually long-lasting, often continuing until the end of the follow-up period, which was 1-5 years.
• However, the results showed a decrease in therapeutic effectiveness for conditions that were chronic in nature.
• Findings also suggested similar results with racehorses from the veterinary literature.
• The researchers additionally compared these historical findings with clinical studies done in Germany over the past several decades, which also showed a high efficacy of radiotherapy using more rigorous study designs and a broader range of clinical evaluation parameters.

Conclusion and Future Implications

• Despite its high efficacy, radiotherapy was largely abandoned in the mid-twentieth century after the discovery of anti-inflammatory drugs and due to the fear of radiation-induced cancer.
• The researchers concluded that X-ray treatment could be an effective method of treating shoulder tendonitis/bursitis. However, this treatment option is not well-known within the current medical community.
• This study serves as the first comprehensive synthesis of the historical usage and effectiveness of X-rays for treating shoulder tendonitis/bursitis in the USA, and suggests potential value in revisiting this treatment approach.