Our Mission

Why Radiant Joint Alliance exists, and what we stand for

Radiant Joint Alliance is a patient-centered nonprofit dedicated to providing clear, plain-language information about low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) for osteoarthritis and degenerative joint conditions. Through patient education, community outreach, and a nationwide directory, we help narrow the information gap between the medical specialties involved in osteoarthritis care, enabling patients and caregivers to have more informed conversations with their healthcare team.

Why Many Patients Never Hear About LDRT

Osteoarthritis affects 32.5 million adults in the United States, and the number of adults with any type of arthritis is expected to reach 78 million by 2040. For a lot of these patients, the usual treatments stop helping long before surgery makes sense, and there is not much in between.

Low-dose radiation therapy has been used for this kind of joint pain in parts of Europe for decades. In the US, hospitals like MD Anderson, Penn Medicine, and Cleveland Clinic now offer it to selected osteoarthritis patients. But most patients have never heard of it. Many doctors outside of radiation oncology haven't either.

A big reason is how care is organized. Your joint pain is handled by primary care, orthopedics, or rheumatology. Radiation is handled by a completely different specialty. The two sides do not cross paths often, and patients get lost in between. Our guides and directory are meant to help patients raise the topic with their own doctors.

What We Believe

  • Patients should be able to read about their options in everyday language, including treatments their own doctor may not have mentioned.
  • We cover what studies show, where the evidence is thin, and what side effects have been reported.
  • Good health information should be easy for anyone to find.
  • Physician review is a must. Our medical content is checked by board-certified radiation oncologists who give this treatment to real patients.

What We Promise Our Readers

  • We will never charge for information, and we will never sell your data.
  • We offer education, not medical advice. Our goal is to help you ask better questions, not to tell you what to do. Please talk everything over with your own healthcare team.
  • We stick to published research and professional guidelines, and practicing physicians review what we write.
  • As a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 42-3274965), every dollar donated goes to the mission. There are no shareholders.

How We Do It

We work on the mission through three programs. First, a library of plain-language articles reviewed by physicians. Second, a national directory of more than 600 treatment locations in all 50 states, DC, and Guam. Third, community outreach that has reached over 3,000 local organizations.

Our Programs

The education library, the directory, and our outreach work in detail.

About Us

Our story, our nonprofit status, and the physicians who review our content.

Find a Location

Browse 600+ hospitals and centers offering LDRT.