Alternative medicine is better than Western medicine

Introduction:Hello Con, I see you have a debate set up for an easy win. So allow me to provide you with a headache.To start, while we have a resolution to work with, defintions are rather lacking. When it comes to medicine, the country you are in and your culture largely determines what the medicine is. So to start, universal agreements on what constitues as medicine is as follows:Definitions:Medicine: a substance (as a drug or potion) used to treat something other than disease. [1] Western: <-- That way (when facing north. (America)) Also applies to countries who the term 'Western Civilisation' can apply to, including Aus/NZ, Europe and the USA.Alternative medicine: For this debate, arguing in favour of alternative medicine means also arguing for complementary medicine. So the two will go together. Alternative medicine shall be defined as: Any medicine not considered conventional by the medical community.[2] Complementary medicine is any alternative medicine taken with conventional medicine.Better: having pleasing qualities or properties[3]To win this debate, I, pro, must establish that Altnernative/Complementary medicine is more desirable than Western medicine. BoP is shared, since Con is the instigator, which makes no sense.Affirmative Case:Argument 1: Desirability.A 2007 survey conducted by the US Department of Health and Human services approximted 38% of American adults actively use Complementary/Alternative medicine (CAM).[4] This does not include the amount who have used it in the past or the ones who don't use medicine at all. So it can be said that the percentage is slightly higher. The figure provided indicates an extremely wide use of CAM, I provide my argument now in syllogism:P1: 'Better,' is that which is more desirable.P2: People do things which they find desirableP3: Many people use CAMP4: Therefore many people find CAM desirable as opposed to conventional medicine.C: CAM is desirablePremises 1, 2 and 3 will be considered axioms, which leaves P4. In justification of the premise to prove its soundness, I quote Dr. Gerald Neuberg, associate clinical professor of medicine. In regards to Alternative medicine, he concedes that: "Patients probably do feel better..."[5] In regards to the conclusion, CAM is considered desirable by many doctors. The Atlantic reports: 'More and more physicians are recommending alternative therapies to their patients and many now say that acupuncture and meditation work better than expensive drugs at treating major chronic diseases.' [6]The above argument is not enough to establish my case, since it doesn't compare itself with conventional medicine. therefore I also argue that the majority of peope who use conventional medicine do so not because they find it more desirable, but because they feel obliged to. The average person when sick will see a doctor and ask for recomendations for treatment and medicine. My argument is simply that the patient does what the doctor says regardless of wanting to or not. The doctor perscribes a certain conventional medicine and that will be that. I am sure everyone has experience the displeasure of taking medicine at regular intervals. This sort of undesirability would usually be called subjective, but since it is a negative experience for everyone, we can call it objectively undesirable. Compare this with peoples free-will choice to take alternative medicine as opposed to conventional medicine.CAM is therefore more desirable than Western medicine and is therefore better.Argument 2: 'positive willpower medicine.'In this argument I will further support my previous argument by establishing that CAM is desirable. I will then postulate a well-supported scientific theory that positive will-power and the will to survive greatly increase recovery chances.To begin, we must recognise the fact that in general, people find CAM more desirable than Western medicine. I have already grounded the position of conventional medicine being undesirable compared to CAM medicine, so I will now also provide evidence that CAM medicine is found to be preferable desirebility wise.The use of CAM has seen an increase over the past years[7] This is mainly explained by their relative low cost compared to conventional medicine. It is also explained by CAM's level of satisfaction it can boast to give to its patients. Many people now seek out CAM's like acupuncture and meditation not as a cure, but as a leisure activity.Subargument 2.1 Before I move on to the main Argument 2, I will elaborate on the price differences between conventional and CAM treatments.14 studies have found CAM treatments to be cost-effective,that is, worth their money.[8] BMC also says the studies: '[were]comparable to the quality found by systematic reviews of economic evaluations in conventional medicine.' So in relation to money, Pro cannot argue that conventional methods are cost preferable to CAM, therefore this debate falls down to which method is prefered.And now the argument 2 that joins onto argument 1, a patient who really wants to live will have better chances of living than one that doesn't. This argument will be short and sweet, it follows that a person who has undergone a treatment that has put them in a joyful mindset of surviving their illness will do more to attempt to cure it than someone who has admitted defeat and is waiting to die. Someone who actually believes they will survive will see the chance and go to rather large lengths in responce to the natural, human survival drive.Conclusion:That is my case for this round, next round will include, defenses and rebuttals. Might I mention that I have absolutely no motivation to do this debate except in the hope that one day, people who set up easy wins don't get them. The amount of effort Pro will have to put into this debate should be around the same I put in. So I'll put it as much as possible in order to make this debate tied or even a Con win.State your case Pro.Sources:[1]http://www.merriam-webster.com...[2]http://nccam.nih.gov...[3]http://www.merriam-webster.com...[4]http://nccam.nih.gov...[5]http://www.columbia.edu...[6]http://www.theatlantic.com...[7]http://www.newsworks.org...[8]http://www.biomedcentral.com...