Bell’s palsy acupuncture research concludes that acupuncture effectively treats Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis. Researchers at the Anhui Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine determined that acupuncture increased functional connectivity within the sensorimotor cortex while promoting brain reorganization in Bell’s palsy patients. In addition, acupuncture restored neurosynaptic function to improve patient outcomes.
Study Focus
The study focused on one specific acupuncture point, Hegu (LI4). The researchers used this point because previous investigations showed that it effectively resolved facial paralysis for Bell’s palsy patients. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), LI4 is effective for treating face and mouth disorders. This Bell’s palsy acupuncture research confirmed this ancient therapeutic technique.
Study Details
Researchers compared MRI brain scans of healthy participants versus Bell’s palsy patients. They noticed that after receiving acupuncture, “The functional connectivity in the sensory-motor cortex is enhanced in Bell’s palsy patients,” including the primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, and premotor cortex.
The primary sensory cortex (S1) processes afferent sensory input while the secondary sensory cortex (S2) integrates sensory-motor signals. The primary motor cortex (M1) generates neural impulses to move skeletal muscles. Finally, the premotor cortex (PMC) manages the coordination of complex movements. Acupuncture has a strong beneficial effect on these areas, which explains its ability to cure Bell’s palsy.
Bell’s Palsy Acupuncture Research
Let’s examine the acupuncture point used in this Bell’s palsy acupuncture research study. Hegu (LI4) is the Yuan-source point of the hand Yangming large intestine channel, located between the thumb and pointer finger in the large thenar eminence muscle.
The researchers commented on the ancient historical roots of Hegu. The acupuncture classic, Systematized Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, stated that “Hegu governs loss of use of the lips, deafness, blockage in the ear, and painful gums.” The Jade Dragon Verse, a book written in the Chinese Yuan dynasty, noted that “Needling at Hegu can treat diseases in the head and face in a miracle-like and effective way.” Now, modern research verifies the benefits of Hegu for the treatment of Bell’s palsy.
Study Design
Investigators set up the study as a double-arm investigation, dividing 59 participants into two groups – facial paralysis and control. The facial paralysis group had 35 patients diagnosed with Bell’s palsy from the Anhui Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The control group included 24 healthy subjects. The Bell’s palsy group included 20 males and 15 females (median age 35 years), and the control group had 10 males and 14 females (median age 23 years). There were no significant statistical differences between the groups.
Acupuncture Treatment For Bell’s Palsy
Both groups received acupuncture performed by an experienced licensed acupuncturist. After disinfecting the acupoint site, practitioners inserted a disposable, sterile needle into Hegu to a depth of 1.0 cm. Researchers recorded both task and resting-state MRI measurements before, during, and after acupuncture treatments.
Evaluations and Results
Before acupuncture treatment, the comparative analysis of the resting-state brain function between the facial paralysis group and the control group showed that both S1 and M1 had “increased functional connectivity” with the PMC in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in Bell’s palsy sufferers.
The research team explained this phenomenon by stating, “The enhanced functional connectivity between M1/S1 and PMC in Bell’s palsy patients reflects a compensatory mechanism of the central nervous system.” They continued, “In Bell’s palsy patients, the muscles cannot perform the movement commands issued by M1 through the efferent nerves, while S1 cannot process afferent somatosensory signals to form a complete feedback loop with M1. Therefore, PMC, the more advanced center, activates its motor coordination function and acts as neural pathways to close the loop.”
Acupuncture Heals Bell’s Palsy
After needling acupoint Hegu, bilateral S2 had “decreased functional connectivity” with the visual and auditory cortices and “increased functional connectivity” in the sensorimotor cortex, including S1, S2, M1, and PMC. The researchers noted, “Brain function reorganization based on synaptic plasticity of the central nervous system has been extensively studied and proved to be the neurophysiological basis for the recovery of stroke and Bell’s palsy patients.”
Conclusion
This Bell’s palsy acupuncture research study indicates that needling Hegu produces positive patient outcomes in Bell’s palsy patients. Researchers concluded that acupuncture was an important treatment option for patients with Bell’s palsy based on these findings.
Next Steps
At Raleigh Acupuncture, we have been successfully treating patients with Bell’s palsy for over fifteen years. Treatments are safe, with no adverse effects, and results are long-lasting.
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Reference
Yang J, Li CF, Zhang QP, Yuan AH, Xu CS, Zhu YF, Li LY, Zhao B. Preliminary Analysis of Brain Function Imaging in Patients with Bell’s Palsy Treated with Acupuncture at Hegu (LI4) [J]. Journal of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2012,28(04):608-610.
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