How does acupuncture treat facial paralysis?

Acupuncture is a national treasure preserved by Chinese medicine in our country. Acupuncture treatment has a history of thousands of years in my country, and its therapeutic effect is worthy of recognition. In our country, acupuncture treatment for facial paralysis is also a common method.

Modern medicine has confirmed the efficacy of acupuncture in treating facial paralysis. Clinical studies have reported that among patients with Bell's palsy who did not show significant improvement in the acute phase of 10 to 20 days after onset, 85% were cured and 92.3% showed significant improvement after acupuncture treatment. Although the results were not ideal for patients with sequelae, they were also effective. It is generally believed that the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for facial paralysis is to excite nerves, dilate blood vessels, promote blood circulation, and reduce inflammation and pain. Acupuncture therapy has been included in many editions of neurology as one of the treatment plans for facial neuritis.

Traditional Chinese medicine's understanding of acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis can be explained from the perspective of etiology and meridian and tendon theory. Facial paralysis in traditional Chinese medicine generally refers to facial paralysis caused by facial neuritis. The cause of the disease is wind evil. Acupuncture can dispel wind, cold and dredge the meridians, so acupuncture can treat facial paralysis. For central facial paralysis caused by liver yang transforming into wind and phlegm blocking the meridians (such as cerebrovascular disease), acupuncture and moxibustion can calm the liver and suppress yang, extinguish wind, transform phlegm and dredge the meridians, and also have a good therapeutic effect.

Acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis often uses the Yangming meridian acupoints, Shaoyang meridian acupoints and Jueyin meridian acupoints as the main focus. These are three meridians that run on the face, especially the hand and foot Yangming meridians and the Jueyin liver meridian that run on the inner and outer sides of the lips respectively, and the foot Yangming stomach meridian that runs from the face to the forehead. "Wherever the meridians pass, the main treatment is reached." According to the meridian theory, acupuncture can regulate the local meridians, qi and blood of the face, and can also regulate the meridians, qi and blood, making them full and smooth, the meridians and tendons can be nourished, and facial paralysis can recover on its own.

Acupuncture can directly act on the cause and location of facial paralysis, therefore, it is an effective means of treating facial paralysis.