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Neuro-Acupuncture For Bell's Palsy and Facial Paralysis

Bell’s Palsy is one sided facial muscle weakness or paralysis caused by damage or irritation to the facial nerve also known as cranial nerve seven (CNVII). In most cases the facial paresis (weakness) or paralysis (complete palsy) comes on suddenly. In cases with less severe facial paresis, facial muscles usually regain function in a few weeks. Approximately 30% of cases develop complete paralysis. In these cases the recovery can take months and sometimes people are left with permanent muscle weakness and facial asymmetry.  

Additional symptoms of Bell’s Palsy can include pain behind or in the ear, facial numbness, impaired taste on the tongue, and increased sensitivity to noise.

What Causes Bell’s Palsy?

• viral infections such as herpes zoster, mononucleosis, influenza B or other viruses
• trauma to the face or head
• dental procedures
• fever
• sometimes the cause of Bell’s Palsy is unknown and it is diagnosed as idiopathic

Other risk factors can include pregnancy, diabetes and recent upper respiratory infection.

Treatment for Bell's Palsy

If you develop symptoms of facial muscle weakness or paralysis it is important to see a doctor so that they can give you a proper assessment and diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, your doctor may prescribe medication to help minimize your symptoms and the potential for long-term damage to your facial nerve.

Many people use neuro-acupuncture to stimulate healing of the facial nerve and prevent permanent dysfunction of the facial muscles.

By assessing your ability to activate different facial muscles and make certain facial expressions, it is determined which of the five branches of the facial nerve are affected. Those specific branches will be treated with neuro-acupuncture and often times electroacupuncture will be added to enhance the effects. The number of treatments needed varies by each individual case but most people benefit from a series of 6-10 treatments. 

What Can I Expect?

Seeking treatment soon after you develop Bell's Palsy is the best way to ensure you make a full recovery. People who have had their symptoms for longer than 9 months, or even for many years can still benefit from neuro-acupuncture although the facial muscles may take longer to respond to treatment.

What Does The Research Say?

"In this study, acupuncture had a beneficial effect on sequelae of Bell’s palsy by relieving the social and physical impairments experienced by the participants. In addition, acupuncture improved facial nerve function and stiffness following Bell’s palsy."
Kwon HJ, Choi JY, Lee MS, Kim YS, Shin BC, Kim JI. Acupuncture for the sequelae of Bell's palsy: a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2015 Jun 3;16:246. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-0777-z. PMID: 26037730; PMCID: PMC4507312.

"Acupuncture intervention at the acute stage of BP [Bell's Palsy] could shorten the time to recovery and improve the outcome."
Yang LS, Zhou DF, Zheng SZ, Zhao BM, Li HG, Chen QQ, Zhong Y, Yang HZ, Zhang K, Tang CZ. Early intervention with acupuncture improves the outcome of patients with Bell's palsy: A propensity score-matching analysis. Front Neurol. 2022 Sep 14;13:943453. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.943453. PMID: 36188388; PMCID: PMC9517937.

"Our results showed that acupuncture plus electrical stimulation, or electroacupuncture, showed significant efficacy compared with steroids, placebo, and antivirals."
Shi J, Lu D, Chen H, Shu M, Xu Y, Qian J, Ouyang K, Huang H, Luo Z, Wang C, Zhang Y. Efficacy and Safety of Pharmacological and Physical Therapies for Bell's Palsy: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis. Front Neurol. 2022 Apr 18;13:868121. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.868121. PMID: 35528739; PMCID: PMC9074786.