When a 65-year-old woman from South Korea sought treatment for knee pain, the doctors did not expect to find something extraordinary. However, that is exactly what they discovered.
Unwanted gastrointestinal issues
Managing osteoarthritis can be exceedingly challenging. This condition gradually wears away the cartilage in your joints, leading to stiffness, swelling, and chronic pain that can make even the most basic daily tasks feel exhausting.
Activities that were once simple — such as climbing stairs, bending down to tie your shoes, or even walking short distances — can become painful and sluggish.
The woman in this story had been struggling with osteoarthritis, and she indicated that pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications offered little relief while causing unwanted stomach problems.

Managing osteoarthritis is challenging, causing joint stiffness, swelling, and chronic pain that makes daily tasks exhausting. One woman found little relief from painkillers, which also caused gastrointestinal issues. She turned to acupuncture, a centuries-old therapy involving needle insertion at specific body points, and had gold needles left in her knees for ongoing stimulation. However, embedded needles carry risks, including inflammation, infection, interference with X-rays, and MRI dangers. Experts caution the body may react negatively to foreign objects, forming fibrous tissue or chronic inflammation. While evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness is limited, it remains popular for arthritis, sometimes leaving a literal “treasure” behind.
