Efficacy of Stage Treatment with Acupuncture plus Intermediate Frequency for Bell's Palsy and Its Effect on Serum NO Content / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the efficacy of stage treatment with acupuncture plus intermediate frequency for Bell's palsy and its effect on serum NO content. Method By adopting a randomized controlled design, eighty eligible patients with Bell's palsy were randomized into a treatment group and a control group. The two groups both received acupuncture treatment in acute stage (within 1 week after the onset); in the remission stage (since 1 week after the onset), electroacupuncture apparatus was added for the control group, and intermediate frequency was given to the treatment group in addition to the intervention for the control group. The House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve grading system and serum NO content were observed before and after the treatment. Result The H-B facial nerve grading was improved after the intervention in both groups; the total effective rate was 95.0% in the treatment group, significantly higher than 82.5% in the control group (P<0.05); the serum content of NO was significantly improved after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05), while the increase in the treatment group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion In treating Bell's palsy, stage treatment with Acupuncture plus intermediate frequency can effectively restore facial nerve function, significantly enhance clinical efficacy and shorten treatment duration. This disease is closely related to the content of serum NO, and the benign regulation on serum NO content is possibly the mechanism of acupuncture in treating facial paralysis.