Patient's question:
Suddenly felt that eating dinner was not very natural, as if the mouth had already started to. By the third day, one side of the face couldn't move. Tried using many topical medications, but they didn't have much effect. It's said that acupuncture is better, so I want to try it. How long after facial paralysis can acupuncture be used for treatment?Doctor's answer:
Bell's palsy, if treated promptly, generally has a good prognosis, and most patients can gradually and completely recover in a short period of time. If treatment is delayed, a very small number of patients may not completely recover from facial paralysis or may only partially recover, and may experience recurrent facial muscle spasms or movement of the face. This may manifest as twitching of the upper lip on the affected side when blinking, or the affected eye not fully closing when smiling. These are all sequelae of facial neuritis.For the treatment of facial paralysis, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine employ different methods. TCM, including herbal medicine and acupuncture, has significant therapeutic effects. For patients with facial paralysis, the earlier acupuncture is applied, the more beneficial it is for recovery. Most acupuncture treatments for facial paralysis in TCM involve inserting needles on the affected side of the patient.