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1
Compare and contrast the methods and basic assumptions of conventional
western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine
It is common for people to have illness nowadays, and most of them prefer western medicine to
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). One of the most important reasons is that TCM does not have
any scientific explanation. Although in China, conventional western medicine is still more popular than
TCM (Shen, 2011). This phenomenon may depend on the features of these two kinds of medicine.
TCM is to eradicate the root of diseases, while conventional western medicine just treats symptoms
(Hung, 2012). There exist a number of differences and similarities between conventional western
medicine and TCM. This essay will compare and contrast these two kinds of medicine in their basic
assumptions and methods.
The basic assumptions of TCM are based on philosophy. The central of TCM is the balance of yin
and yang. TCM divides all the things in the world into two kinds, yin and yang (Shi, 2012). The things
that are active, bright and warm belong to yang, and the things that are quiet, gloomy and cold
belong to yin. If a person lose the balance of yin and yang in his body, it is easy for him to get ill. TCM
considers people as a whole and not only focus on the illness, while conventional western medicine
only takes care of the illness. The aim of TCM is to find the root that lead to the illness and clear it to
improve people’s resistance to disease. Therefore, it is slow to have visible responses for the patients
who choose TCM (Lamp, 2001). However, because of the lack of research, it is difficult for people to
understand TCM (Wong, 2006).
Li Qirui 1200826
In contrast, the basic assumptions of conventional western medicine are based on scientific
evidences, which is easier for people to understand and accept. Compared with TCM, the central of
conventional western medicine is science. All the medicine of western medicine is made by chemical
substances, while TCM uses various herbs mainly. The aim of conventional western medicine is to
control the symptoms (Lamp, 2001). It is fast for people to heal from the illness when choosing
western medicine, because conventional western medicine only focuses on the illness itself and
eradicates only the things that cause the illness. However, both TCM and conventional western
medicine aim at making humans be healthy.
The methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine are simplex. To diagnose illness, TCM has four
diagnostic methods, which include looking patients’ appearances, hearing patients’ sound, asking
