A 68-year-old female presented with a 1-month history of
lower back pain with right-sided radiculopathy and
numbness. She was diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis and
treated conservatively with analgesia and physiotherapy.
Imaging showed multiple susuk, a metal alloy, in the lower
back region and other regions of the body. The patient had
undergone traditional medicine consultation 10 years earlier
when the susuk was inserted in the lower back as talisman.
The practice of the insertion of susuk is popular in rural East
Malaysia and Indonesia. These foreign bodies act as
possible causes of chronic inflammation and granuloma
formation. In addition, the localised heighten peril upon
imaging. This report suggests that the insertion of multiple
susuk as talisman carries risk to safety of patients when
imaging, and this practice complicates the management of
musculoskeletal disorders