Alternative medicine is better than Western medicine

Defence of the Negating Case: Because alternative medicine takes so long to take effect, it would take quite a long time to be able to find out if your treatment was the correct one, whereas with conventional medicine it wouldn't take so long. Go get acupuncture and see how you feel. It's not that slow is it? That basically undermines the entire argument, so I'll leave it at that. My opponents rebuttal is good, but not so great in terms of facts. Acupuncture actually takes more than 5-6 visits to see results. For more serious cases, it takes more than that. Using conventional medicine means getting results in a few days. Might want to reconsider your argument on that. Further more, acupuncture is not the only form of alternative medicine. There are many more so focusing solely on one does not prove anything in this debate. For example, using alternative medicine for the skin disease, 'Vitiligo' actually takes up to up to 3 years or more depending on how much you actually have (this is from personal experience so of course it's valid). Hence, it actually is that slow and I'll leave it at that. People often don't know what is good for them. People feel obliged because they know that it is good for them. If someone wanted to wash their face in a pond to cure a foot sore, we have no right to comment. For that person, whichever method he/she wants is better for him. People feel obliged because they know that it is good for them. This sentence contradicts the one that came before it. But anyways, its false never-the-less. People feel obliged not because they know it to be true, no one knows medicine to work with 100% success, instead, people go to the doctor because they either think it will make them better, or because everyone else does that. The socio-cultural interferences in our everyday decision making is so great that there is even a perspective of psychology dedicated to it. [1] 'For that person, whichever method he/she wants is better for him', this isn't necessarily true. If someone wanted to jump off a cliff to get rid of height fears, that's not a good method because it endangers their life. It is an exaggerated example, but you get what I mean. I have never indicated that one person can choose what is best for everyone at any point in this debate, so that is an invalid statement on its own, pointless. 'People go to the doctor because they either think it will make them better, or because everyone else does that' Yes, I agree that people go to the doctor because they think it will make them better. Usually, that is what happens. They feel better after a visit to the doctor because the doctor ensures them that they will cure or they give medicines that ensure that their illness will cure OR they provide an explanation and sometimes we think the worst of our symptoms but a trip to the doctor means we are able to understand that what we have may not actually be that serious, as a result, we feel better. People definitely do not go to the doctors because everyone else does that. When you talk about socio-cultural influence, yes it does have impact on our lives but with something as serious as our health most people do what they feel is best for them not what everyone else is doing. Before doctors can become who they are, they take a series of courses and study in-depth about doctoring before they have the chance to even find a job as a doctor. If there's any society influence on people's decision to the doctors, it's the fact that everyone knows how hard it is to accomplish being a doctor therefore they are reliable for our needs. I rest my case, sometimes general knowledge is all it requires to understand these things. 'It's probably better to go to your nearest doctor' I agree, it is unfounded, unsourced and whatever un-something you would like to type at me. However, let's just use our common sense and not over think this very simple statement. Loads of people go to the doctor every single day, every single hour, every single minute, every single second. A trip to the doctor means you can find out what is wrong with you and how to solve that issue, I cannot stress this any more than I already have. You don't need statistics to prove that a doctor helps or any other evidence. It's just simple. A doctor is a doctor, they are there to be our first choice when it comes to curing our illnesses, don't you ever go to the doctors? I thought so. Deconstruction of Affirmative's Rebuttal: Objection 1: Depending on what type of CAM you use, it would be surprising to know that results start as soon as the method is implemented, chiropractors move bones into place, massages relax muscles, Meditation calms the mind. I see that you are focusing on meditation, chiropractors and massages. Might I mention that there are also other types of alternative medicine, take Ayurvedic Medicines for example, have you ever thought how long they take to work? Never the less, we'll do this your way because it still has flaws that are important to point out. You stated, 'it would be surprising to know that results start as soon as the method is implemented'. That's fine. What we're saying is that it takes long to work, so although it may start working now it may not finish for a long period of time. I think you have either misunderstood that or diverted the statement to your advantages, yet not succeeded. Objection 2: You talk about how Alternative medicine is not risky at all. I do not have the energy to keep on proving that alternative medicine is risky. All medicines have the potential to be risky, there's no doubt. Here are some risks of Alternative Medicine: Herbal Supplements: Cancer, poisoning, Acupuncture (your favourite): collapsed lungs which can lead to death Chiropractic Manipulations: Stroke, meningitis Homeopathy: Malaria, permanent skin disfigurement ALL CAM: can result in delay of effective care, thus worsening outcomes for cancer patients and others. For specifications on all of the above, visit this source: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org...