Zeena Lemon finds that complementary treatments such as acupuncture are becoming increasingly widely accepted.

The use of complementary or alternative therapies has become increasingly popular over the past decade. It is estimated that up to one in five people in the UK have tried at least one complementary therapy and now doctors and the NHS are embracing certain alternative medicines.

The most common therapies include acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, and chiropractic with others such as aromatherapy, reflexology, massage and nutritional medicine becoming more popular.

The list of therapies can appear daunting, from crystal therapy and reiki to colonic hydrotherapy and iridology. All are unique but each therapy has the same aim at its heart: to alleviate symptoms, reduce stress and control or cure disease by treating the whole person. Diet, mental and physical health and lifestyle are all considered important to understanding the root cause of a problem; and by treating the roost cause symptoms are alleviated and cures often found.

People seek the help of complementary practitioners for an array of conditions including arthritis and back pain and mental health problems including depression and panic attacks. Cancer clinics often use complementary therapies alongside a patient's conventional medical treatment and acupuncture and osteopathy are often used in pain clinics. Even the World Health Organisation has a "traditional medicine strategy" to

"promote the integration of complementary therapies into national healthcare systems".

Deciding on what treatment is for you may seem a challenge but there are many ways to finding the right therapy. A trip to the doctor may be a good start as one in 10 GPs are actively involved in some sort of alternative therapy, which they use alongside "orthodox" medicine. There are also a number of professional organisations representing everything from acupuncture to energy therapists so the Internet or local library may be a good place to begin searching.

A recent House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology cited acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, homeopathy and herbal medicine as having the best professional organisations and self-regulating bodies of all the complementary therapies -- by law, chiropractic and osteopathy practitioners must be registered with the appropriate professional bodies.

Whether you need to be soothed, massaged, manipulated or simply listened to there is sure to be a complementary therapy available to help you cope with anything from a minor ailment to a major illness.

Find out more

The Internet can give you access to some of the best help and advice on choosing a therapy.

www.bbc.co.uk/health

Gives you up to the minute information on the many therapies available as well as some useful links to professional regulatory bodies.

www.i-c-m.org.uk

The Institute of Complementary Medicine

www.bcma.co.uk

The British Complementary Medicine Association. A comprehensive website offering an A to Z of all the major and less well known therapies and information on how to find a therapist near you.

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

NHS direct provides useful information on many therapies and looks the advantages and disadvantages of each one.