Physiotherapy for a 38 years old man with Bell’s palsy: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Bell’s palsy is regarded as temporary paresis of one side of the face and resulting in loss of facial function especially facial expressions. The aim of this case report is to share the evidence based plan of care of a Bell’s palsy patient based on International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Case Report: A 38-year-old male diagnosed as unilateral Bell’s palsy. Patient complained of deviation of face towards the left side, unable to drink water and chewing difficulties. In addition, patient also complained of pain in the mastoid region and neck stiffness. Patient received a six weeks of dose based physiotherapy service including proprioceptive exercise, trophic stimulator, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, facial neuromuscular rehabilitation and home exercise programs. Centre based physiotherapy was performed at center four sessions per week. Each session consists of 45 minutes. During discharge, patient showed improvement in pain reduction at numerical pain rating scale by 4 cm and improvement of facial expression by 55% in accordance to Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). Conversely, patient also showed improvement in ADL’s, recreational activities and social gatherings. Conclusion: The case report showed that evidence based plan of care incorporating ICF helps in rehabilitation with full of potentials for a patient with Bell’s palsy.