Retrospective analysis of 1170 cases of Bell′s palsy

Objective To explore the efficacy of conventional physical therapy, acupuncture and hormone intervention for treating Bell′s palsy so as to suggest an optimal treatment in clinical practice. Methods Clinical data on 1170 patients with Bell′s palsy (BP) treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University between October 2012 and November 2015 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the differences in disease course and in total cost among the patients. Seasons of the year, age, treatments, as well as the presence of immune-related diseases were the covariates studied. Multivariate logistic regression equation was used to test for any significant relationships. Results Physical therapy and hormones were found to have shortened the average course of treatment, but immune-related complicating diseases were shown to be risk factors. Patients receiving acupuncture for more than 1 month had longer courses of the disease than those without. Patients whose treatment combined hormones with physical therapy had the shortest disease course and lower total cost on average. Conclusion Early hormone intervention combined with physical therapy can shorten the course of BP and lower the cost of treatment. Key words: Bell′s palsy; Physical therapy; Acupuncture; Hormone therapy