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the person as a whole (body, mind and spirit), and not just the symptoms. A less invasive form of acupuncture that uses finger pressure instead of needles is acupressure, a form of Chinese touch therapy.

Because the thinking behind Chinese medicine is based on ideas that are so different from conventional western medicine, it has only recently (beginning in the 1970s) begun to be accepted in the West. There is very little clinical evidence attesting to the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of acupuncture and acupressure, but there are numerous accounts of successful treatments using both these methods.

I believe that any skepticism on this subject is largely due to the inability of conventional Western medicine to understand the traditional Chinese concept of Meridians and acupoints, which cannot be demonstrated anatomically. Both the 'neural theory' (the inserted needles stimulate the nervous system, causing nerve fibers to carry messages to the brain, signaling the release of chemicals affecting the body's internal regulating systems), and the 'electrical theory' (electrical magnetic fields around the acupuncture points are higher than in the surrounding skin) are not wholly accepted by allopathic medicine.

Aromatherapy, another alternative medicine system, uses essential oils to improve psychological and physical well-being. Essential oils are volatile liquids produced by distillation from the roots, leaves or flowers of plants. What differentiates essential oils from other herbal products is that the distillation process produces concentrated extracts. Essential oils may be applied on the skin, inhaled or they may even be ingested. Since each essential oil contains different active ingredients, some oils are safe to apply topically but unsafe if swallowed, while others may be safe to inhale, but unsafe to put on your skin. Essential oils should always be diluted before use (in water or in carrier oils' such as almond oil, grape seed oil and sesame oil).

The FDA classifies most essential oils as cosmetics, foods or flavoring agents. Since essential oils are not regulated in the same way as drugs, it is difficult to ascertain that the quality, or even the amount, of essential oil contained in the bottle is the same as that stated on the label. Purity and quality depend on several factors, including cultivation conditions, distillation methods, manufacture, and storage. Therapeutic grade essential oils are not cheap. To make them more affordable, synthetic components are often manufactured, increasing the risk of toxicity or allergic reactions.

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries, yet there is little published research on the subject. However, a number of researchers have recently obtained FDA approval to conduct research on the therapeutic use of essential oils, and in Europe, Australia, Japan, India, and Canada several such studies are presently being conducted.

There are many more alternative medicine systems. Those who use them and believe in them also take them seriously. In most cultures that use alternative systems of medicine, there is a designated 'learned person' or physician to whom people go for treatment. In the West, surprisingly, people who opt to adopt an alternative system of medicine, who profess to believe in this system's power of healing, also seem not to take it seriously. In many western minds, the use of an alternative system of medicine seems to cancel the need for caution or knowledge and open the way to carelessness and self-medication.

Learn more about this author, Sawsan Elzayyat.
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