Ayurveda can be used in conjunction with more traditional healing modalities. Complementary or Integrative Medicine Programs are now a blossoming part of health care in the United States.

Under a grant from the NIH (National Institutes of Health), research sites have been set up at major hospitals to begin the vitally important work of investigating the ten most promising alternative approaches to some of society's most pressing and depressing health problems.

At New York Presbyterian Hospital, one of the NIH sites, Ayurveda is being studied as a health care system that can be used safely in conjunction with conventional Western medical treatments, such as surgery and drugs prescribed for cancer, heart disease and other conditions.

Health care consumers recognize that stress, diet and lifestyle are major factors in the cardiovascular conditions that are the leading cause of death in our society. Ayurveda directly addresses these issues through the six instruments: herbs, diet that supports your constitution, marma, panchakarma (a cleansing and rejuvenation program), lifestyle guidance (including meditation instruction) and home remedies.

Alternative approaches such as Ayurveda are often more effective in treating many chronic conditions, having been tried and tested for centuries in other cultures.