the complementary approaches to be as “conven-
tional” in their use and application as advances in
technology such as GENE THERAPY, molecular medi-
cine, diagnostic imaging, ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION,
BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIER, and PHARMACOGE-
NOMICS.
Even today, hospitals are quietly becoming
models of such an integrative paradigm. Neonatal
intensive care units employ MASSAGE THERAPYand
music therapy to soothe the fragile premature
infants born before their bodies and systems
developed fully. Patients waiting for organ trans-
plants or undergoing high-tech cancer treatments
receive instruction in meditation and visualiza-
tion. Reflection gardens, labyrinths, Native Ameri-
can prayer wheels, meditation rooms, and chapels
provide quiet, calming environments for prayer
and contemplation.
This is a time of record breakthroughs in med-
ical discoveries. Researchers are exploring more
and more experimental treatments, conventional
as well as alternative and complementary. Keep-
ing up with the incredible pace of new knowledge
challenges doctors and individuals alike. What is
clear already is that as knowledge increases, the
best care will be that which presents an informed
integrative approach guided by progressive con-
ventional doctors based on individual patient
needs, using the simplest, most effective methods
for restoring and maintaining health.Alternative and Complementary Approaches 55