ABSTRACT
This chapter considers certain candidate noninvasive therapies (NITs) for medical conditions that initially may not require surgery or other invasive procedures. The NITs are technical in nature; they do not involve massage, surface ointments, acupuncture, exercise regimens, braces, swallowed medicines and drugs, or diets. However, they do include photon radiation modalities and mechanical energy radiation. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, painful, degenerative disorder of the articular cartilage associated with hypertrophic bone changes. Risk factors include but are not limited to advancing age, genetics, female sex, past joint injury, obesity, and diet. Radiation therapy (RT) is used as a supplementary NIT to control or kill malignant cells. Ionizing radiation includes high-energy photon sources including cosmic rays, gamma rays, x-rays, and short-wavelength ultraviolet light. Deep tumors in the body can be treated by beams of ionizing radiation, or brachytherapy, to induce cancer cell apoptosis.
