Which to Believe?
Sometimes I wonder just how long is a study’s “shelf life.”
Acupuncture ‘does not aid fertility treatment’ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7405852/Acupuncture-does-not-aid-fertility-treatment.html) – March 2010. ”New” research says so.
Seems to contradict:
Acupuncture helps women have babies (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3042006/Acupuncture-helps-women-have-babies.html) – September 2008. “New” research (at the time) says so.
Okay the first article refers to a meta-analysis of previous studies, the bottom one included. This means they didn’t actually do new research but reviewed old ones.
Here’s where I believe that acupuncture is truly practitioner dependent. I’m usually good with neurologic problems but others are admittedly better than I when it comes to infertility. Dr. Regina Liu, a friend of mine who is licensed in China and the US in acupuncture has carved a niche for herself when it comes to infertility. Her office is lined with pictures of the “proofs” of her successes.
All I can say is that given what I know about statistical manipulation – you can twist the numbers to say almost anything you want – I value clinical experience more than anything else when it comes to treatment evaluation. Good practitioners learn from experience what works and what doesn’t. I can safely say, in good conscience, NOT that acupuncture is beneficial in treating infertility, but that there are doctors like Dr. Liu (and myself too – I’ve gotten quite a few patients pregnant… wait that didn’t sound right…!) who are quite skilled in USING acupuncture and herbs in treating infertility. Acupuncture is a procedure, not a pill, and is practitioner dependent.
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