Kim Kardashian has revealed her long battle with severe shoulder pain — and the costly, unconventional treatment that finally brought her relief.

In a detailed Instagram post on Friday, the 44-year-old SKIMS founder shared that she tore her shoulder lifting weights two years ago, leaving her with what she described as “debilitating” pain. Despite trying every available treatment in the U.S., nothing worked until she discovered stem cell therapy through Dr. Adeel Khan at Eterna Health in Mexico.

“I’m so excited to share my stem cell journey,” Kim wrote, explaining that Dezawa Muse cells were used to treat her shoulder. The results, she said, were immediate: “I regained full range of motion, and my shoulder has felt completely normal ever since.”

Encouraged by this success, Kim returned to Mexico to address chronic back pain she had been battling for years. “The Muse stem cell treatment was a game-changer once again,” she wrote, claiming the pain vanished instantly. She thanked Dr. Khan and his team for giving her hope when she “thought [her] body was breaking down.”

However, the treatment is not available in the U.S. and comes with a steep price tag — reportedly between $4,000 and $15,000 for a shoulder procedure. Stem cell therapy remains controversial in the U.S., especially when embryonic stem cells are involved, though other sources like umbilical cord or bone marrow cells face fewer ethical concerns.

Kim’s post sparked mixed reactions online. Many fans accused her of flaunting an option out of reach for most people, leaving comments such as, “Hey Kim, we’re poor,” and “We’re not all billionaires, unfortunately.” One quipped, “She tells the story like we all can relate… oh, I’ll just fly to Mexico for a special procedure.”

Acknowledging the criticism, Kim urged followers to “do your homework” and consult medical professionals before considering such treatments, adding that she hopes advancements in science will make them more widely accessible.

This revelation comes after Kim returned to the gym just weeks after tearing her shoulder and a tendon in August 2023 — a comeback as intense as her previous fitness transformations.