ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore whether a combination of drugs is needed when acupuncture is used to treat peripheral facial paralysis with normal result of facial nerve magnetic resonance examination.@*METHODS@#A total of 48 normal facial nerve magnetic resonance examination of peripheral facial paralysis patients were randomly divided into an acupuncture combined with drugs group and an acupuncture group, 24 cases in each group. Acupuncture combined with prednisone were applied in the acupuncture combined with drugs group, and simple acupuncture was given in the acupuncture group. The acupuncture treatment methods were the same. Acupuncture mainly applied at Yifeng (TE 17), Quanliao (SI 18), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Sibai (ST 2), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4) on the affected side, Hegu (LI 4, opposite side) for 30 min a day, once every other day. Electroacupuncture was added at Yifeng (TE 17) and Quanliao (SI 18), Jiache (ST 6) and Dicang (ST 4) on the affected side after the acute phase until it was cured. Prednisone was taken orally once a day, with an initial dose of 30 mg, decrease 10 mg every 3 days for 9 days. After 3 and 8 weeks of treatment, the effect was observed by Portmann score.@*RESULTS@#After 3 and 8 weeks of treatment, the cured rates were 50.0% (12/24) and 83.3% (20/24) in the acupuncture group, which were slightly lower than 58.3% (14/24) and 87.5% (21/24) in the acupuncture combined with drugs group，there was no significant difference between the two groups (both >0.05); the course of treatment in the acupuncture group was (31.2±17.0) d, slightly longer than (29.5±12.8) d in the acupuncture combined with drugs group , but there was no significant difference between the two groups (>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Simple acupuncture treatment on peripheral facial paralysis with normal result of facial nerve magnetic resonance examination can achieve the same effect of acupuncture combined with drugs, and avoid drug-related adverse reactions.