X-Ray Reveals Hundreds of Gold Needles in Woman’s Knees

Doctors in South Korea made a surprising discovery when examining X-rays of a 65-year-old woman suffering from severe knee pain: her tissue was filled with hundreds of tiny gold acupuncture needles. The woman, previously diagnosed with osteoarthritis, had turned to acupuncture after conventional treatments like pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs caused stomach issues without easing her discomfort.

According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, the needles had been deliberately left inside her body to provide ongoing stimulation, a practice sometimes used in Asia for arthritis treatment. However, experts warn that leaving foreign objects in the body can be risky. Dr. Ali Guermazi of Boston University, who was not involved in the case, explained that retained needles may trigger inflammation, abscesses, or infection, and could interfere with medical imaging. For example, X-rays may be harder to interpret, and MRI scans could be dangerous since metal objects might shift and cause damage.

Although acupuncture is widely practiced and the use of gold threads around joints is common in some Asian countries, scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness remains limited. In the U.S., acupuncture is also popular, with about 3.1 million adults and 150,000 children reportedly using it as treatment in 2007.