A 56-year-old woman came to Raleigh Acupuncture diagnosed with Bell’s palsy six months earlier. She had paralysis on the left side of her face and could not close her left eye or smile, and could not raise her forehead (like you do when you’re surprised). In addition, she had pain and numbness on the left side of her head, especially behind her ear and neck. Her doctor said there was nothing more to do and that given the lack of improvement, it was unlikely she would ever heal. This acupuncture Bell’s palsy case describes how we helped resolve her facial paralysis.
What Is Bell’s Palsy?
The American Academy of Otolaryngology describes Bell’s palsy as “A condition that causes the facial nerve not to work resulting in paralysis and distortions of the face. The paralysis can appear as sagging, frozen expressions, frowns, droopiness, and other surprising looks. Some patients report a typical day of waking up and feeling normal, then being shocked when looking in the mirror and seeing how one side of their face has changed.
“In others, Bell’s palsy takes several days or even longer to fully develop before changes in the face stop. Bell’s palsy occurs when pressure or swelling damage the facial nerves. The facial nerve controls muscles of the face, the ears, saliva glands in the mouth, and tears in the eyes and provides some sense of taste on the tongue.
“A person’s facial paralysis or weakness may range from mild to severe. It may be difficult to smile or make facial expressions. Some people have a hard time eating or drinking due to facial weakness. Other symptoms may
include facial numbness, drooling, pain around the ears, and loss of the sense of taste. Eyelids may not fully close. The face may feel heavy.”*
Acupuncture Bell’s Palsy Case
Acupuncture treats Bell’s palsy by healing the affected facial nerves. First, practitioners insert tiny, sterile, single-use needles to specific acupuncture points on the face. Then a gentle electric current is passed through the needles (electroacupuncture). This safe, natural therapy calms agitated nerves, reduces swelling around facial nerves, and restores normal nerve function in the face.
The practitioners at Raleigh Acupuncture applied this treatment strategy to our 56-year-old patient with Bell’s palsy. Within three treatments (once a week), she started experiencing improvement in her condition. First, the pain and numbness in her ear and neck began to dissipate. Next, she was able to start moving the muscles around her mouth, and her eye was able to close more than before. Since she was showing signs of healing, we encouraged her to continue treatment.
Following the fifth treatment, her smile was 40 percent restored, and she was able to close her eye 80 percent. By this time, acupuncture had resolved all the pain and numbness in her face. Our patient was amazed at this improvement, as she had spent six months unchanged in her condition.
Acupuncture Heals Bell’s Palsy
We continued treating our patient another three times (once a week), at which point she was 80 percent better in all aspects of her condition. Her eye now closed on its own but required her to concentrate while doing so. In addition, she had reclaimed most of her smile muscles, as well as her “surprised” expression (eyes raised, forehead wrinkled).
At this point, she started coming for acupuncture every other week. It took four more sessions for complete healing – acupuncture restored normal nerve function in her face. A six-month check-in revealed that all was well, and her facial function was still normal.
Next Steps
If you or someone you love has Bell’s palsy, try acupuncture. This safe, natural treatment helps heal damaged facial nerves to restore normal muscle function and resolve facial paralysis.
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References
*The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (www.entnet.org), one of the oldest medical
associations in the nation, represents about 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. https://www.entnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BellsGuidelinePLS.pdf
What our Clients are Saying
I woke up in the morning and could not feel the left side of my face. I could not close my left eye. I have been to several doctors and have taken different drugs. I have a little improvement but majority of the problem remained. Out of desperation, I called Raleigh Acupuncture to check out if they treat this condition. They said they have successfully treated this condition and encourage me to come in as soon as possible because the sooner I come in, the better. I came in that same day. To my surprise, after just the first treatment, I could close my left eye. That was huge for me. Because I did not need to tape my left eye shut when I went to sleep for the 1st time since this happen. And during the day, I did not need to keep putting in drops to moisten it. I continued my treatment with them. I got better and better. I started to have sensation coming back. I could drink water without spilling all over myself. I could smile. Anyway, I am 100% cured. If you have this condition, don’t wait, call them and get treated right away. It surely saves a lot of anxiety and struggles.