Bell’s palsy is the sudden development of unilateral paralysis in a person’s face. The 7th brain nerve is the nerve responsible for normalizing the muscles of one side of the face and it is the nerve that also is responsible for facial expressions and movement. A lot of Bell’s palsy sufferers have experienced a problem with their nervous system. Any side of the face can be affected and Bell’s palsy symptoms manifest in about 10% of these sufferers.
According to traditional Chinese medicine or TCM, Bell’s palsy is known as the “invading wind” that can develop in pregnant women and in both young and old people.
Symptoms and Signs
-Complications of mild dysarthria, ulceration and corneal drying
-Dribbling or drooling food often when eating.
-Inability to form tears, blink, salivate and smile in the problematic side of the face.
-Sudden paralysis in one side of the face and difficulty in shutting the eye in the affected part of the face.
Other Symptoms
-Salivary gland disorder
-Lachrymal gland disorder
-Sensitive hearing
-Lowered sensation of the tip of the tongue
-Pain in the back of the ear
Causes
-Lyme disease, syphilis or herpes simplex virus
-Surgery, an external wound or another physical disorder
-Guillain-Barre Syndrome (issues with the immune system)
-Too much exposure to cold (sleeping with the window open or too much air-conditioning)
-Diabetes
Treatment
Quick recovery and faster improvement are usually the case for Bell’s palsy sufferers if they have their condition treated within the first two weeks of the first symptoms. To help treat the patients much better, it is recommended that patients bring along diagnostic test results such as MRIs, HSV or herpes virus results or Lyme disease tests.
A lot of the patients are given antiviral medications like Acyclovir as well as topical cream for the problem eye. Still, in spite of these medications, a lot of patients do still suffer from this condition. It is best to seek additional therapies immediately since the longer the wait, the longer the time body needs to heal.
Acupuncture – the needles used in acupuncture treatment for Bell’s palsy are to help clear the blocked meridians and stimulate the nerve. Acupuncture is not just to help improve blood flow to the problem area it also provides benefits to the immune system that then help speed up the healing process.
It is very important to identify and address anything that causes stress to the immune system. Along with herbal therapy, acupuncture will immediately restore the patient’s Qi.
Herbs – Based on the patient’s manifested symptoms, the Chinese herbalist will prescribe a unique concoction of herbs. Thee herbs enable the body to rejuvenate itself and at the same time lessen the chances of relapse and side-effects.
Treatment Period
Most Bell’s palsy patient may need a month to two months of treatments with some patients reporting visible results within the first few treatment sessions. Acupucture works very well on Bell’s palsy conditions.