Acupuncture has been utilised as early as 5000 years ago. The development of acupuncture techniques happened in different cultures at different times, with each discovering its efficacy as a recovery and pain management technique, often completely independently (eg. the Egyptians in 1550 BC, the Hindus in 1300 BC, primitive technology found in preserved remains from central Europe in 3200 BC, etc.).
A common misconception is that acupuncture is based on a theory of energetics and not strictly science. Ancient civilisations lacked the medical understanding to explain exactly how acupuncture works, but as technology improves we can increasingly understand it using advanced imaging and our understanding of underlying physiology.
