Medical practices that do not depend on surgery and pharmaceutical drugs are called alternative forms of medicine.Some of these are more highly respected than others. For example, the chinese method of acupuncture, although 2,000 years old. is considered an effective remedy for chronic pain. On the other hand, the practice of reflexology, which uses foot massage to heal other parts of the body, might feel good, but there is little proof that it works.
Some forms of alternative medicine are centuries old. African herbalists have a long history of using tree bark,roots,grasses, and flowers to make teas to treat disease. Native Americans have used plant products to treat such illnesses as high blood pressure and coughs. At first, modern scientists laughed at herbal healers and called their methods "grandmother's remedies." Today, however,researchers are testing certain elements in plants for the possible treatment of cancer and AIDS.