A 65-year-old woman seeking relief from severe knee pain shocked doctors after an X-ray revealed “hundreds of tiny gold needles embedded deep in her tissue.”

The woman, from South Korea, had osteoarthritis, a condition that causes joint stiffness, swelling, and pain by wearing down cartilage and bone. After common treatments like painkillers caused stomach issues and failed to help enough, she turned to acupuncture.

Unlike standard acupuncture, where needles are removed after treatment, these gold needles were reportedly left inside on purpose to provide ongoing stimulation for pain relief.

Doctors warned that this unusual treatment may carry serious risks. Leaving metal or other foreign objects in the body can trigger inflammation, infection, or abscesses. As Dr. Ali Guermazi explained, “The human body doesn’t like foreign material.”

Another concern is medical imaging. Metal fragments can interfere with scans and “obscure parts of the anatomy on an X-ray.” Experts also caution that patients with metal inside their bodies should avoid MRI scans, since strong magnets may cause movement of the objects and possible internal injury.

Although acupuncture remains widely used for pain management, especially in parts of Asia, some more extreme practices such as gold thread implants or permanent needle insertion are controversial. Supporters believe they offer long-term benefits, but evidence supporting these claims remains limited.

The woman’s case, later documented in a medical journal, has become a reminder that alternative treatments are not always risk-free.

Doctors continue advising patients to carefully consider the risks and benefits before choosing unconventional therapies, since what seems like a simple solution may lead to unexpected complications.