Six Cases of Hemifacial Spasm Treated with Electro-Acupuncture Therapy / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) sometimes visit acupuncture practitioners for treatment. We can find descriptions of acupuncture procedures and methods for treating facial spasm in textbooks of clinical acupuncture. However, there is almost to literature that presents data on the actual responses of HFS patients to acupuncture. Therefore, we cannot judge satisfactorily whether acupuncture is suitable for treating of HFS at this time.<BR>Six HFS patients (37 to 56 years old) who had not responded to conventional medical treatment were treated with electro-acupuncture therapy (EAT). EAT was applied to facial muscles for twenty minutes once or twice a week.EAT was continued until the patient dropped out or changed treatment. The period of treatment ranged from one month to one year. After a course of weekly treatments, ranging from one week to one month, the frequency and degree of spasms decreased in five of the six patients. No serious adverse events due to the treatments were observed.<BR>It seems that EAT is safe and produces a gentle anticonvulsant effect. Therefore, it is conceivable that EAT could be applicable for HFS. Thus, if the treatment with microvascular decompression or botulinum toxin is contraindicated, EAT may possibly be an alternative.