Cupping has been a folk treatment for thousands of years and has been called "coining" in this country.

Alternative systems of medical practice are complete, comprehensive systems.

Examples would include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Indian Ayurveda, and the healing practice of native Hawaiians or other native Americans.

Hundreds of papers have been published on the effectiveness of acupuncture. Many show effects on endorphins, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters. Clinical efficacy has been shown for acupuncture in treatment of dysmenorrhea, pain, addiction and alcoholism, immune response and pulmonary function.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a comprehensive therapeutic system utilizing herbal therapy, acupuncture, moxibustion, food therapy, massage therapy, therapeutic exercise and a type of energy medicine known as Chi Gong. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practiced for over 3,000 years, and at present, at least 1/4 of the world's population makes use of one or more of its components.

Homeopathy, a system of healing using tiny doses of substances to treat disease, has also been studied. Homeopathic dilutions are often so great there is little or no active ingredient in them. Practitioners believe an electromagnetic signature is left in the solvent that is responsible for therapeutic effect. Despite this difficult to understand reasoning, homeopathy has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling trials for treatment of fever and arthritis.