Doctors discover hundreds of gold threads in a woman's knee

In South Korea, doctors discovered hundreds of tiny threads made of pure gold in the legs of a 65-year-old woman being treated for osteoarthritis in her knee joints. As it turned out, the woman used an alternative medicine method—acupuncture with gold threads—in an attempt to relieve pain. However, instead of improving her condition, this method only intensified her pain.

Painkillers did not help

The patient, whose name was not disclosed, had suffered from severe pain and joint stiffness for a long time due to osteoarthritis in her knees. Doctors prescribed her painkillers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and even steroid injections directly into the knee joints.

However, none of these treatments helped enough to allow the woman to live a pain-free and normal life. On top of that, the medications caused side effects. Specifically, the patient experienced severe abdominal pain.

After that, she decided to try alternative medicine methods. The treatment she chose was a controversially regarded acupuncture method using gold threads.

Gold threads aggravated the pain

Initially, the woman received acupuncture treatment once a week. During the procedure, very tiny gold threads were inserted into the tissues around the knee.

However, after the procedure, her osteoarthritis-related pain did not decrease, but rather intensified. Despite this, the woman increased the frequency of her visits to the specialist to several times a week.

Ultimately, the pain in her knees became so severe that the patient was forced to seek medical help again.

X-ray examination revealed an unexpected sight

As a result of the X-ray examination performed at the hospital, doctors identified several changes. In particular, the inner part of the tibia had thickened and hardened, and bone growths had appeared in the knee joint. These signs are typical for osteoarthritis.

However, the most surprising result of the examination was the detection of hundreds of tiny gold threads lodged in the tissues around the knee.

Doctors emphasize that it has not been scientifically proven that acupuncture with gold threads brings benefits to patients. On the contrary, this type of treatment can pose various risks.

Tiny threads can cause cysts to form in the body, shift to other locations, and damage surrounding tissues. In addition, they may interfere with important examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this case, the shifting of the metal may pose a risk of damaging blood vessels.

Experts warn against unproven treatments

Acupuncture with gold threads has been reported before. It has been used for a long time in some Asian countries to relieve various types of pain. Interest in this method is especially high among elderly people.

Proponents of this treatment believe that introducing sterile gold threads into the body creates a continuous effect on the internal structures of the body, alleviating pain. However, there is no reliable scientific evidence to support these claims.

On the contrary, pinning hopes on such treatments can cause patients to delay receiving effective medical care. As a result, disease symptoms worsen and additional health problems arise.

Experts emphasize the importance of relying on scientific evidence when choosing a treatment method, and consulting a doctor, especially when chronic diseases and severe pain are present.