Doctors discover gold needles lodged in woman’s knees during arthritis checkup
A 65-year-old woman in South Korea sought help for knee pain, but doctors instead uncovered remnants of an unusual alternative treatment
When a South Korean woman visited her doctor for knee pain, X-rays revealed something unexpected: tiny gold needles lodged inside her joints. The discovery traced back to an alternative arthritis treatment she had undergone years earlier.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint conditions worldwide, gradually wearing down cartilage and making daily activities such as climbing stairs, bending, or walking short distances difficult.
The 65-year-old patient had struggled with the condition for years. Traditional painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs offered little relief and left her with stomach problems, prompting her to try acupuncture as an alternative.
Gold needles left behind
According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, the woman underwent a version of acupuncture in which needles—believed to be made of gold—were intentionally left in her knees for continued stimulation.
While the treatment is still practiced in parts of Asia, medical experts warn it carries risks. “Foreign objects left inside the body can lead to inflammation, abscesses, and infection,” explained Dr. Ali Guermazi, professor of radiology at Boston University, in an earlier interview about similar cases.
Medical risks of embedded needles
Beyond infection, retained needles can complicate medical imaging. They may obscure X-ray results and, more seriously, make MRI scans dangerous. “Needles left in the body may move and damage an artery,” Guermazi said.
Doctors also note that the body often reacts strongly to foreign materials, sometimes forming scar tissue around them in an attempt to protect itself.
Despite limited scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness, acupuncture remains popular worldwide. In the U.S. alone, millions of adults and children use the practice for pain management, according to the National Institutes of Health. In some Asian countries, inserting small pieces of sterile gold thread near joints is still used as a treatment for arthritis.
For this South Korean woman, what began as a search for relief left her with a surprising outcome: knees filled with gold needles, a lasting reminder of how unconventional treatments can sometimes leave unexpected traces inside the body.
