Table 1. Summary of current understanding and treatment strategies between Western medicine and TCM.

	Western medicine	TCM
Basic understanding	Health and disease as separate entities; understand pathogenesis	Regulation of yin and yang; harmonization of body elements
Yin and Yang of treatment	Yin = anatomy; Yang = physiology	Yin = blood; Yang = energy
Clinical approach	Analytic; explore cause and effects of disorder	Holistic; harmonize overall bodily function to treat disease state
Underlying organ dysfunction	Cardiovascular risks and endothelial dysfunction	Liver and kidney ailments
Treatment strategies	Stepwise approach by target organ systems	Restore balance for more natural and harmonious sex life
Medical and medicinal products	Oral PDE5 inhibitors; intracavernosal vasoactive agents	Herbal products; animal derived products
Non-medical therapy	Mechanical therapy: (I) VCD/VED; (II) PVS; (III) penile prosthesis; (IV) LIESWT; (V) penile cast	Exercise therapy: (I) Jelqing; (II) Qigong; (III) acupuncture

TCM, traditional and complementary medicine; PDE5, phosphodiesterase type 5; VCD, vacuum constriction device; VED, vacuum erection device; PVS, penile vibratory stimulation; LIESWT, low intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy.