Doctors find “gold mine” in woman’s knees

Unwanted stomach issues

Living with osteoarthritis can be incredibly challenging. The condition gradually wears down the cartilage in your joints, leading to stiffness, swelling, and persistent pain that can make even simple daily tasks feel exhausting.

Activities that were once easy — like climbing stairs, bending to tie your shoes, or even walking short distances — can become painful and slow.

The woman in this story had been struggling with osteoarthritis and according to her, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications offered little relief and brought unwanted stomach issues.

So she turned to acupuncture, according to a case published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Acupuncture, a centuries-old alternative treatment, involves inserting needles into the body at specific points to relieve pain or treat illnesses. In this case, the needles— presumably made of gold — were intentionally left in her knees for continued stimulation.

But leaving needles in the body isn’t without risk.

“Foreign objects left inside the body can lead to inflammation, abscesses and infection,” said Dr. Ali Guermazi, a professor of radiology at Boston University who wasn’t involved in the case.