A 65-year-old woman in South Korea had for years been struggling with persistent knee pain due to wear and tear in the joints. Traditional pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicines weren’t helping and even caused stomach problems, so she turned to another form of therapy to ease her discomfort.
What Doctors Saw on the X-Ray
When doctors took X-rays to investigate her worsening knee pain, they saw something unusual: hundreds of tiny gold-colored threads embedded throughout both knee joints. The scans looked almost like a “gold mine” — not because it was treasure, but because so much metal showed up on the imaging.
How the Threads Got There
Those tiny gold strands weren’t natural. They came from a type of long-term acupuncture treatment she had received, where short pieces of gold wire are intentionally left in tissue with the idea that they will continue to stimulate the area. People sometimes turn to this method hoping for relief when standard therapies fall short.
The Downsides of Leaving Metal Inside the Body
While the threads may have been meant to help, leaving metal fragments in the body isn’t without problems:
- The body can react to foreign material, leading to inflammation, scar-like tissue, or other tissue changes.
- Metal inside joints can make interpreting X-rays harder and may interfere with other imaging tests.
- In some situations, objects left behind can migrate or cause irritation in nearby tissues.
These are some of the reasons doctors urge caution with treatments that leave behind implants or foreign material inside the body.
A Reminder About Treatment Choices
This woman’s case isn’t just a curiosity — it shows how alternative approaches can sometimes complicate medical evaluation and care later on. What might seem like a clever or long-lasting solution can have unexpected effects, especially when it involves leaving material inside the body.
What You Can Take Away
- Persistent joint pain deserves careful medical follow-up.
- Discuss all treatment options — including risks and benefits — with a trusted healthcare provider.
- Be aware that some therapies have long-term implications for future medical care.
Her story is a striking example of how medical imaging can reveal surprising things — and why asking questions and staying informed about treatments matters at every age.
