A 65-year-old South Korean woman seeking treatment for knee pain surprised doctors when X-rays revealed tiny gold acupuncture needles left inside her knees.
Suffering from osteoarthritis, she said conventional painkillers offered little relief and caused stomach problems, leading her to try acupuncture. In this treatment, gold needles were intentionally left in her knees for ongoing pain relief.
Doctors warned that foreign objects left in the body can cause inflammation, infection, and complications with medical imaging. Embedded needles may also make MRIs dangerous if they shift and damage tissue.
While evidence supporting acupuncture’s effectiveness is limited, treatments involving gold needles remain popular for joint pain in parts of Asia.