Therapeutic Observation of Stage-based Treatment of Peripheral Facial Paralysis with Yifeng (TE 17) as the Major Point Treated by Different Acupuncture Methods / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of stage-based treatment of peripheral facial paralysis with Yifeng (TE 17) selected as the major point treated by different acupuncture methods.Method A total of 102 patients with peripheral facial paralysis were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 51 cases each. The treatment group was intervened by selecting Yifeng (TE 17) as the major point, treated with centro-square needling in the acute stage, triple needling in the resting stage, and proximal needling in the remission stage; the control group was intervened by ordinary acupuncture. The two groups were treated once a day, 5 d as a course of treatment. Before and after 3 treatment courses, the House Brackmann (HB) facial nerve grading scale and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in those patients complicated with pain were observed, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result The total effective rate and recovery rate were respectively 100.0％ and 82.3％ in the treatment group versus 86.3％ and 60.8％ in the control group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The HB scores were significantly changed respectively after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses in the two groups compared with the pre-treatment scores (P<0.05). The HB scores in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group respectively after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses (P<0.05). The patients complicated with facial pain or headache presented significant differences in VAS score respectively after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses in the two groups (P<0.05). In comparing the VAS score in the patients complicated with facial pain or headache, there were significant differences between the two groups respectively after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses (P<0.05).Conclusion Stage- based treatment with Yifeng (TE 17) selected as the major point treated with different acupuncture methods can produce valid efficacy in treating peripheral facial paralysis.