Suffer from Bell’s Palsy? Read this

What is Bell’s Palsy?

Bell’s palsy involves the acute spontaneous paralysis of the facial nerve. Most often it is one-sided and sudden where the person experiences drooping of eyelids and mouth. It can be caused by several factors but most frequently viral infection or herpes simplex virus activation. It is known that there is an inflammatory and infections cause.

Since symptoms are often sudden and resemble stroke symptoms, patients should seek immediate medical attention to rule out causes and get proper treatment. If Bell’s Palsy is diagnosed, most often standard treatment involves steroids to calm nerve inflammation. In some cases, anti-viral medication may be used. Typically, facial paralysis is short-lived.

Approximately, 70% of patients recover spontaneously in 3 to 6 months. However, it is all dependent on the underlying causes, initial treatment, and patient’s health status. There are people who have residual paralysis and facial weakness, that becomes chronic and does not spontaneously recover.

Read our previous post on how acupuncture can help here.

How can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture is highly effective at treating bell’s palsy and getting treatment as quickly as you can after onset is key for an improved and successful outcome. In most cases, those who receive acupuncture soon after onset of symptoms, recover within weeks to a month.

What does the research say?

In a recent study looking at how acupuncture can help with bell’s palsy found that acupuncture can be a safe and effective treatment option. The goal with acupuncture treatments are to aid in promoting the recovery process and minimize the risks of complications, ex. Long-term effects.

At Starting Point Acupuncture in Bothell, we specialize in complex and chronic conditions. Call our office today, (425) 686-4498 to set-up your initial consultation to learn how we can help your specific concerns.

Sources:

Uptodate.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4431843/