As Western interest in oriental-style medicines rises, the Koryo Hand Therapy Institute has announced the introduction of several programs designed to teach English-speaking visitors the use of an acupuncture-acupressure therapy that is believed to relieve pain and symptoms in the body by stimulating specific points on the hand that correspond to every organ and system in the body. The Koyo Hand Therapy Institute (KHTI), which is headquartered in Seoul, now offers four programs in English including two-hour, half-day, 16-hour and 20-hour seminars.

The programs teach students how to insert tiny needles about a millimeter into their hand to relive pain in the body, and to stimulate the healing of an array of ailments from skin problems and chronic pain to loss of appetite and headaches. How does it work? A beginner learns to treat a variety of minor maladies simply by applying "corresponding treatment." In other words, there are five fingers, which correspond to four limbs and the head. The index finger and ring finger correspond to the arms, thumb and pinky to the legs, and the middle finger is relative to the head. The palm corresponds to the front torso and the back of the hand to the person's back.

As a form of alternative medicine that differs from both traditional Oriental as well as Western medicine, KHT is practiced mostly by lay people rather than by licensed doctors. According to KHTI, 16 foreign countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas have KHT centers, including 190 in Korea, and more than three million people have enrolled in the center’s training program. For more information about the KHTI programs, call the KNTO at 800/868-7567 or visit the Internet at http://soojichim.net