Developed by Duke University experts as a guide to integrative medicine and health planning, the Wheel of Health symbolizes Duke's unique approach to integrative medicine. It illustrates nine key areas of health and wellness and underscores the interrelatedness of mind, body, spirit, and community in the experience of optimum vitality and wellness, as well as in the prevention and treatment of disease.

The Wheel of Health is made up of three concentric circles that represent the primary elements of optimal health:

Mindfulness. At the heart of health is mindfulness, the practice of staying alert to your physical, mental, social, and spiritual states. Awareness enables individuals to recognize symptoms as they emerge, which is when they are most readily treatable. This is the critical core of well-being, on which the other elements are based.
Self-care. Individuals are encouraged to explore the dynamic interplay of the ways they can care for themselves and to develop proactive strategies to improve or maintain their health. Important areas for self-care are relationships, the physical environment, nutrition, movement and exercise, the mind-body connection, and personal growth and spirituality.
Professional care. Recognizing symptoms early is key to diagnosing health problems when they are most treatable, and awareness of the need for professional care is an integral component of the integrative approach to medicine. Professional care includes pharmaceuticals and supplements, preventive medicine, and conventional and CAM treatments.