Integrative medicine is personally tailored medicine. It deals with primary prevention and underlying causes of chronic disease rather than simply removing or masking symptoms once they arise. Integrative medicine emphasizes true healing, treatment of the person rather than a disease, and a partnership of joint responsibility between doctor and patient, with the patient carrying most of the load. It also embraces the most current science in diagnosing early abnormalities that eventually lead to chronic illness.

Integrative medicine uses botanicals and other forms of nutritional supplementation rather than pharmaceutical agents that create high levels of stress damage. Under the influence of integrative medicine, "old age" is not what it used to be, anti-aging is now a science, and optimized living is the "new normal" for people of every age.

In light of the above points, I view integrative medicine as a complement to traditional medicine and not an alternative. Systems of health protection should work together where possible. One approach cannot serve all of "heaven and earth."