Most people are aware that acupuncture has its origin in China but don’t realize that in one form or another it has been practiced throughout the world.
Acupuncture began thousands of years ago, when ancient peoples around the world began using sharp objects to treat their ailments. Stone needles were invented in China around 4000 B.C. The ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls from 1550 B.C. discuss lines of energy throughout the body, which we now call meridians. The Ayurvedic physicians in India used acupuncture for thousands of years. Various forms of acupuncture, using simple sharp objects, were practiced by such diverse groups and cultures as South African Bantu tribes, Arabs in North African and Arabia, Eskimo and South American natives. Chinese acupuncture concepts spread all over Asia, including and especially in Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asian countries, where it blended with and was shaped by the local populations.