Chinese Acupuncture in Treatment of Bell’s Palsy Clinical Study

Abstract

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effects of acupuncture for treatment of different stages of Acute Bell’s palsy, and its relationship to age and sex. Patients and Methods: 152 patients of Bell’s palsy, were acute cases in different grade of paralysis. Following up with combined drugs and acupuncture therapy for one month, which were diagnosed clinically and proved by electromyography EMG, these cases of acute Bell’s palsy were collected from Apr. 2016 to Feb. 2017 in Thamar governorate 100 km south to Sana’a capital city of Yemen. These cases were divided in to three groups, according to Hous-Brackmann grading system, HBGS: 1—marked improvement (very good) when patients improved completely within two weeks; 2—mild improvement (good) when patients improved within one months; 3—resistant in which there is no improvement within one months. EMG was used in diagnosis various stages of peripheral facial paralysis, evaluation of prognosis and guidance in clinical treatment with combined drugs and Chinese acupuncture for one month of clinical follow up. Statistical significance was assessed by P-values for Chi square test analysis by Epi info statistical analysis of single and stratified tables. Results: During the study period 152 patients were diagnosed as acute Bell’s palsy. Of these 81 (53%) cases were females and 71 (47%) were males. The improvement of acute facial paralysis was related to patients’ ages which were divided as three groups: 1-29 y, 30-59 y, more than 60 years old. The results shows that the younger age group have a better chance to improve; 1stgroup 61 (40.5%), 2nd group 48 (31.5%) and 3rd group 43 (28%). Conclusion: The electro-acupuncture in treatment of acute stage peripheral facial paralysis is effective and the improvement in the young age group shows very good improvement than old age.