• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.19-28
• /
• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of oriental medical treatment and oriental-western medical treatment on Bell's palsy. Methods : From 1st June, 2006 to 31th August, 2007, 30 Bell's palsy patients who visited the Facial palsy center at East-West Neo Medical Center within 7days of onset and treated for more than 4weeks were randomly divided into two groups. Group A was treated with oriental medical therapy(Acupuncture, Herb, Physical therapy) and Group B with both oriental and western medical therapy(Acupuncture, Herb, Physical therapy, Administration of prednisone). We evaluated the treatment effect of each group with the House-Brackmann Gross Grading System before treatment, after 1week, 2weeks, 3weeks and 4weeks of treatment. Results : After 1week of treatment, Group A showed better performance compared with Group B. After 3weeks and 4 weeks of treatment, Group B showed better performance than Group A. Conclusions : These results proved that combination treatment of oriental and western medicine was more effective than just oriental medical treatment in long term treatment of Bell's palsy. But we discovered that there were no significant differences between the two groups.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2009

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oriental medical treatment on Bell's palsy patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods : A clinical study was done on 3 patients who were diagnosed and treated as Bell's palsy at the Dep. of Acupuncture and Moxibustion College of Oriental Medicine Daejeon University. The effects of combined treatment of acupuncture, herbal medicine and physiotherapy were evaluated with Yanagihara's unweighted grading tool. Results : 1. There was significant improvement on Yanagihara score after treating with Gunbiikqi(健脾益氣) method, which was based on pattern differentiation as Hur(虛證). 2. Three patients commonly complained heaviness, dyspepsia, anorexia after receiving chemotherapy and oriental medical treatment showed significant improvement on the symptoms. 3. All three cases received herbal medicine treatment and liver function test. Three cases showed normal range of liver function during and after the treatment. Conclusions : Oriental-medicine treatment did not damage in liver function and showed significant improvement on Bell's palsy in patients receiving chemotherapy. But it is considerd that we need to keep limits in getting enough patients.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of acupuncture treatment with those of collaborative treatment regarding acute Bell's palsy. Methods Twenty-six patients who received outpatient treatment between March 2012 and February 2013 were divided into 2 groups. The East-West treatment group (EW group, n=12) received prednisolone and then acupuncture afterwards. The Eastern treatment group (E group, n=14) received just acupuncture. Acupuncture was administered 3 to 4 times a week, and both groups were educated to practice facial muscle exercises at home. Evaluations were made before treatment, after 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks using the House-Brackmann facial nerve grading system. Results Compared to before treatment, the House-Brackmann grades of both EW and E groups after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of treatment significantly decreased (p<0.05). Regarding group comparison, the House-Brackmann grade of the EW group was significantly lower than the E group at 1 week (p=0.043), but there was no significant difference at 2 and 3 weeks. Regarding improvement of House-Brackmann grades, there was no significant difference between the two groups at 1, 2 and 3 weeks (p>0.05). Conclusions Compared to just acupuncture treatment, collaborative treatment with prednisolone significantly improved the House-Brackmann grade after 1 week, but there was no difference as time passed. Because early intervention determines the prognosis of Bell's palsy, collaborative treatment at the early stage will be clinically helpful to patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.142-146
• /
• 2008

Facial palsy is a general nerve disease which is occurred in a lateral incomplete or complete facial palsy. But it makes man restrict a social activity and so it is very important that we know the prognosis factors of a patient for medical care. We want to investigate the position and the patterns of the facial palsy according to sex and age. In this study, we performed the excitability test of the facial nerve on 103 patients (male 45 and female 58) which diagnosed as the Bell's palsy having an acute facial palsy, and the rate of the facial palsy was 42% (43 case) in right oculi and 58% (60 case) in left oculi. The facial palsy was appeared widely from young to elderly patients and especially, the rate of the facial palsy was high in age groups from 40 to 50.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.11-23
• /
• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients admitted for Bell's palsy in a Korean medicine hospital to identify whether admission is necessary and beneficial. Methods : A semi-structured interview was conducted on 9 patients who had experience in both the inpatient and the outpatient treatment for Bell's palsy. Their experiences from inception of first symptoms to admission into the Facial Palsy Center in Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital were interviewed along with their thoughts and feelings. The interviews took place after discharge home at a pre-scheduled date and time in a quiet room at the hospital between July 2013 and August 2013. The subjects were purposefully selected until saturation of information was met. Results : Nine participants were interviewed and patients' concerns and priorities were identified. At the acute stage, patients experienced anxiety and all of the female patients and one male patient felt embarrassed of their facial disfigurement. With time, the patients felt impatient of their symptoms and turned to Korean medicine for additional treatment. Providing psychological stability seemed to be an important factor for patients. Conclusions : This study provides insight into the experiences of patients with Bell's palsy, and is significantly the first ever qualitative report to focus on the patient's needs and concerns during admission care for symptoms of Bell's palsy. Admission care can provide many physical and psychological benefits for the patients especially during the acute stage.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.81-88
• /
• 2009

Objective : This study was to report Bell's palsy patients with severe pain back of the ear treated by Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy. Methods : The patients was treated by Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy to relieve the severe pain back of the ear. Visual Analog Scale(VAS) was used as an outcome measurement. Results : After Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy, VAS were decreased at all case. Conclusion : Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy can be available for relieving severe pain back of the ear even inducing insomnia.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.117-120
• /
• 2005

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) may develop after Bell's palsy (BP). But it was not reported that contralateral HFS occurred simultaneously in acute BP. A 25-year-old woman admitted with left HFS occurred simultaneously in acute right BP for 6 days. Past, family, and social history were unremarkable. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and blink reflex (BR) test showed bilateral facial neuropathies. Brain MRI and cerebral angiography were normal. The symptoms and signs of HFS and BP were improved slowly after acyclovir and prednisolone therapy. Follow-up serial NCS and BR also showed a rapid improvement.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.259-266
• /
• 2000

Facial nerve is subject to injury at any point in the course from the cerebral cortex to the motor end plate in the face, so many etiologic varieties of facial paralysis may be encountered, including trauma, viral infection and idiopathic. Author have reviewed the effect of electrodiagnostic test in Bell,s palsy. The electrodiagnostic test is helpful for estimating the prognosis of the Bell's palsy patient.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.71-77
• /
• 2009

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate the influence of the period of disease on Bell's palsy patients Methods : We investigated 40 cases of patients with peripheral facial palsy who visited Yumin Oriental Hospital from 1st January to 31st August, 2008 with both oriental and western medical therapy and classified them as period of disease. The period of disease of Group A was within 3 days. The period of disease of Group B was from 4 to 10days. We evaluated the treatment effect of each group by House-Brackmann grade before treatment and 1, 2 week treatment. Results: 1. There was a statistical significant difference in period of disease between Group A and Group B. 2. After 1 week treatment, Group A showed more recovery compared with Group B. 3. After 2 week treatment, there was no statistical significant difference in House-Brackmann grade between Group A and Group B Conclusions : These results suggest that early treatment could be more effective in recovery of Bell's palsy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.42-64
• /
• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the non-surgical treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae such as bell's palsy and Ramsay-hunt syndrome during last 10 years. Methods : We searched articles in the RISS, MEDLINE, CAJ from January, 2008 to June, 2018. Articles on the non-surgical treatment of bell's palsy and Ramsay-hunt syndrome sequelae were included. We extracted data about treatments, characteristics of intervention, outcomes from the included studies and classified in to 4 categories such as case studies, RCTs, nRCTs, literature reviews. Results : 132 potentially relevant studies were identified, of which 60 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of 60 included studies, 30 were case reports, 22 were RCTs, 4 were nRCTs, and 4 were reviews. China (81.8%) were the most common by country, bell's palsy(81.7%) by disease, and case reports(50%) by study type were the most common. Symptoms were lagophthalmos, asymmetry, contracture, spasm, dacryorrhea, synkinesis, paresthesia, crocodile tears mostly in the order of frequency, and these symptoms occurred at least one month after the onset of symptoms. The most common method of treatment was acupuncture, which was used in 49 studies. As the evaluation variables, the effective rate was the highest in 25, House-Brakmann grading system in 17, and Sunnybrook facial grading system in 7. In 95% of the studies, after-treatment was reported to be cured, but objectivity is low. Conclusions : This study suggests that Korean medicine such as acupuncture can play a valid role in the non-surgical treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae. In the future, a systematic and well-designed clinical study is needed for treatment of peripheral facial paralysis sequelae.