Nobody anticipated that a 65-year-old South Korean woman’s visit to her doctor for chronic knee discomfort would result in a medical surprise.
But when her X-ray showed something strange—dozens of tiny gold acupuncture needles still buried in the joint area—that’s exactly what happened.
The woman had been dealing with osteoarthritis, a chronic illness that causes cartilage to gradually deteriorate, making even basic activities like getting up from a chair or mounting stairs more difficult.
She decided to try acupuncture because traditional drugs didn’t provide much help and made her stomach uncomfortable.
Her therapy, according to a case reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved inserting needles and purposefully leaving them in place. This technique is occasionally employed in Asian countries in the hopes that prolonged stimulation can lessen joint pain.
However, significant medical issues were brought up by this strange revelation.
The following issues may arise if foreign things are left inside the body:
In his commentary on the case, radiologist Dr. Ali Guermazi pointed out that because metallic objects may shift or heat during an MRI, embedded needles may also make it unsafe for patients to undertake the test.
There is little scientific proof to support long-term needle insertion, despite the fact that acupuncture has deep cultural roots and is still a widely used supplementary therapy, with millions of adults attempting it in nations like the US and South Korea.
The unexpected X-ray served as a reminder that there are risks associated with alternative treatments, particularly when materials remain in the body.
The “gold” found in this patient’s knees wasn’t treasure; rather, it was a remarkable illustration of how non-traditional treatments can have unanticipated aftereffects even after the pain has subsided.
