Bell’s Palsy is a one-sided facial paralysis that appears quite suddenly. Many patients will also complain of face pain. It looks like half of your face has a mild to dramatic drooping that affects the eye and/or mouth. The condition is most noticeable when you smile. What causes it? The exact cause is unknown, but it’s often attributed to viral infection and swelling of cranial nerve VII . The most modern treatment protocols involve putting the patient on antiviral medication. Most cases get revolved within several weeks to several months. Some people however, have lingering symptoms for years.
The good news is that acupuncture can treat Bell’s Palsy. A recent report suggested that acupuncture can dramatically improve systems and shorten recovery. (https://www.healthline.com/health/acupuncture-for-bells-palsy). We’ve treated many patients here for Bell’s Palsy using a combination of both acupuncture and cold laser therapy. The thought is that the anti-inflammatory action of both acupuncture and laser therapy as well as the wound healing properties of the laser can speed reovery. We just had a recent amazing success story with a women with persistent Bell’s Palsy for several weeks. After her first treatment, she noticed a huge improvement. After her second treatment, she felt some strange things going on…. a couple of days later, she cancelled her third treatment because her symptoms were completely gone. Do all patients respond so quickly? Not always….usually it takes a few more….but she was so thrilled and even I was surprised so I had to mention it!
