The Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Bell's Palsy Sequelae

Abstract Objective This study was planned to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for the treatment Bell’s palsy sequelae. Methods In this study, the forty patients with Bell’s palsy sequelae were randomly allocated into either the acupuncture or control group. The clinical outcomes in pre- and post- treatment were assessed using the following assays: the facial nerve compound motor action potential (CMAP), House-Brackmann (HB) and Sunnybrook (SB) grading scales. Agreement analysis was performed between the SB and HB grading scales. Results There was significant difference between pre- and post- treatment CMAP values of the patients within the acupuncture group (p=0.036). In pre- and post- treatment SB and HB scores, significant differences within two groups were observed. However, the significance level in the improvement rate in the acupuncture group was higher than that of the control group. General agreement between the SB and HB scores of groups was an acceptable value, weighted agreement between the scales was a moderate agreement. Conclusion In this study, we found that acupuncture treatment is effective in improving Bell’s palsy sequelae. Acupuncture can be used as a safe method in the treatment of Bell’s palsy sequelae.