Pros and Cons

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Traditional Chinese medicine should be treated as an integral part of the HK health care system alongside Western Medicine
For	Against
Many TCM treatments such as Tui Na, Acupuncture, Tieh Ta are quite popular in Hong Kong TCM and Western medicine can supplement each other In China and Taiwan, TCM is widely considered to be an integral part of the health care system Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history (more than 4000 years)	The use of animal products in certain TCM formulas presents a problem for vegans and vegetarians The quality and professionalism of TCM practitioners in Hong Kong are questionable TCM allows and even encourages the use of endangered species in treatments

Many TCM treatments such as Tui Na, Acupuncture, Tieh Ta are quite popular in Hong Kong
For	Against
	There are many accidents in the past history related to TCM treatment. Besides that popularity is not directly related to the effectiveness

TCM and Western medicine can supplement each other
For	Against
Western medicine has its shortcomings that can be improved by adopting certain ideas from TCM TCM has its shortcomings that can be improved by adopting certain ideas from Western medicine TCM and Western Medicine have different perspectives which together form a integral health care ideology	TCM and Western medicine are totally incompatible

Western medicine has its shortcomings that can be improved by adopting certain ideas from TCM
For	Against
(co) TCM advocates more concern for the overall feelings of patients instead of mere laboratory tests TCM diagnostics and treatments are often much cheaper than Western methods which require high-tech equipments or extensive chemical manipulations Conventional medicine does recognize the importance of nutrition and exercise and reducing stress in maintaining a healthy immune system (co) TCM stresses constantly the importance of internal body balance and the proper functioning of the immune system Modern Western medicine over-relies on technological means (co) TCM aim to restore the balance or the proper function of the immune system of the patient in order for him or her to cure him or herself Western medicine’s over-reliance on antibiotics leads to the strengthening of viruses (co) TCM treatment targets the imbalance of the patient’s body instead of the infectious organism Modern Western medicine only medicalizes disease and causes loss of health and wellness, while generally failing to restore health by eliminating diseases Western medicine treatments always have side-effects

TCM has its shortcomings that can be improved by adopting certain ideas from Western medicine
For	Against
Western medicine can contribute to TCM the strict scientific method to promising traditional treatment (co) Western medicine has general practitioners who dispense primary care, but increasing reliance is placed on those specialize TCM is not specialized enough with regards to particular diseases or health problems

TCM and Western Medicine have different perspectives which together form a integral health care ideology
For	Against
TCM remains strong in the area of maintaining health Western medicine is more suitable in cases of emergency and crisis situations

TCM remains strong in the area of maintaining health
For	Against
TCM has a “macro” or holistic view of disease

TCM has a “macro” or holistic view of disease
For	Against
TCM looks for the signs of disharmony in the external and internal environment of a person in order to understand, treat and prevent illness TCM says processes of the human body are interrelated and constantly interact with the environment

Western medicine is more suitable in cases of emergency and crisis situations
For	Against
Western medicine treats infections by targeting the microorganisms directly

TCM and Western medicine are totally incompatible
For	Against
The difference in language makes it difficult to describe the mechanisms of TCM in scientific term TCM is not scientific

TCM is not scientific
For	Against
TCM lacks laboratory experimentation and research Many TCM treatments appear to have their basis in magical thinking TCM relies on the subjective experience of the practitioners rather than a set of objective theories in diagnosis as Western medicine does TCM does not usually operate within a scientific paradigm	Practically all techniques of TCM, e.g. acupuncture, Tai Chi Ch’uan have explanations of their effectiveness which Western medicine can find plausible Advanced TCM practitioners are interested in statistical and experimental techniques which can better distinguish medicines that work from those that do not Some herbs have known active ingredients which are also used in Western pharmaceuticals

Many TCM treatments appear to have their basis in magical thinking
For	Against
	Such doubts do not invalidate the efficacy of the medicines themselves

Such doubts do not invalidate the efficacy of the medicines themselves
For	Against
Given the evolution of TCM, while herbs were originally selected on erroneous grounds, only those actually proven effective have remained in use

TCM does not usually operate within a scientific paradigm
For	Against
Same disease can have different treatment on different patients or even the same patient according to different TCM practitioner

Same disease can have different treatment on different patients or even the same patient according to different TCM practitioner
For	Against
TCM aims to restore the balance according to the particular experience of the patients

TCM aims to restore the balance according to the particular experience of the patients
For	Against
	In fact this is a good point of TCM, because everyone has his own physique and the development of disease in his body is different from others to some extent.

The quality and professionalism of TCM practitioners in Hong Kong are questionable
For	Against
Compared to Western medicine, TCM in Hong Kong does not have enough professional training and education lacks proper legal regulation	Promoting TCM means imposing stricter regulation on and providing better education of TCM TCM has its own regulating committee in Hong Kong (Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong)

lacks proper legal regulation
For	Against
There is a standard of practice for TCM and the TCM practitioners have to get registered with the regulatory body. It is getting similar to Western medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history (more than 4000 years)
For	Against
	A long history can not prove the fact that TCM is effective

TCM allows and even encourages the use of endangered species in treatments
For	Against
	It does not mean the treatment is noneffective,.If the Insect drugs are controlled well , they can get good curative effects even healing intractable diseases.

It does not mean the treatment is noneffective,.If the Insect drugs are controlled well , they can get good curative effects even healing intractable diseases.
For	Against
TM can heal intractable diseases