When a 65-year-old woman from South Korea visited doctors for persistent knee pain, no one expected the discovery waiting inside her joints. What began as a standard examination for osteoarthritis turned into a jaw-dropping revelation.
Osteoarthritis and the Search for Relief
The woman had been struggling with osteoarthritis, a condition that gradually erodes joint cartilage, causing stiffness, swelling, and chronic pain. Tasks once simple—climbing stairs, bending, walking short distances—had become daily challenges. Conventional pain medications offered little relief and often upset her stomach, pushing her to explore alternative solutions.
She turned to acupuncture, a centuries-old practice that involves inserting fine needles at specific points to alleviate discomfort. In her case, tiny gold needles were intentionally left embedded in her knees for ongoing stimulation—a method sometimes used in certain Asian countries to treat arthritis.
Hidden Risks of Embedded Needles
While intriguing, leaving needles in the body carries real risks. Dr. Ali Guermazi, a radiology expert at Boston University, warns: “Foreign objects left inside the body can trigger inflammation, infection, or abscesses. The body often reacts by forming fibrous tissue around the object, which can complicate future medical procedures.” Embedded needles can also obscure X-ray images, and MRIs may be dangerous if the needles shift, potentially causing serious injury.
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