People living with joint pain from osteoarthritis who have not found relief through medications or physical therapy are not alone.

A new noninvasive treatment is now being studied after helping one 91-year-old man regain mobility.

Howard Pomper was once an active senior who enjoyed travel and spending time with his family. But debilitating hip pain caused by osteoarthritis changed everything.

“It was difficult to move around and I needed more help from my better half,” Pomper said.

Recently confined to a wheelchair, Pomper is now up and walking again, virtually pain free.

He credits the CyberKnife machine for being the game changer.

The CyberKnife was originally designed to zap tumors with pinpoint accuracy. Now, the targeted radiation treatment is being used to send radiation beams directly into joints that cause arthritis pain.

Dr. Mark Pomper, Howard’s son and the director of CyberKnife Miami, is overseeing the treatment.

“At very low doses of radiation, talking extremly low does, you have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is perfect for a patient suffering from arthritis,” he said.

Howard Pomper underwent several CyberKnife radiation treatments.

While the therapy is still being studied, both father and son say they are pleased with the results.

“(It’s) just amazing what’s happened to my body,” Howard Pomper said. “I can move much faster and I don’t use a wheelchair.

“The pain is reduced so much that I can a lot more exercise,” Howard Pomper said.

Mark Pomper says the results have been significant.

“His mobility is back and his discomfort is almost none. he’s a happy camper, back to his old self!” he said.

Because the treatment is very new, Mark Pomper says he does not know how long the pain relief will last. However, he says the radiation dose is so small that patients like his father could be treated again if the pain returns.

Studies into the effectiveness of low-dose radiation treatment for arthritis are continuing.

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