Therapeutic Observation of Blood-letting and Cupping at Fengchi (GB 20) plus Acupuncture for Peripheral Facial Paralysis in Acute Stage / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of bloodletting and cupping at Fengchi (GB 20) plus acupuncture in treating peripheral facial paralysis in acute stage.Method Sixty patients with peripheral facial paralysis in acute stage (disease duration ≤7 d) were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by bloodletting and cupping at Fengchi (GB 20) plus acupuncture, while the control group was treated with ordinary acupuncture. The two groups were treated once a day, 5 times a week, 2 weeks as a treatment course and 3 treatment courses in total. The House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve grading system was observed before and after the intervention, and the clinical efficacies in the two groups were compared. Result The total effective rate was 96.7% in the treatment group versus 93.3% in the control group, and the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the H-B score between the two groups respectively after 2 and 3 treatment courses (P<0.05).Conclusion Bloodletting and cupping at Fengchi (GB 20) plus acupuncture is an effective approach in treating peripheral facial paralysis in acute stage.