Bell’s Palsy is a condition that causes the facial muscles to weaken or become paralyzed on one side of the face, causing that side of the face to drop. Bell’s Palsy specifically effects the 7th cranial nerve. In oriental medicine, Bell’s Palsy is known as wind attack or external wind stroke attack.
It is categorized as external wind stroke attack with the main pattern differentiation being wind invasion due to emptiness of the channels. We have seen many patients who come in for treatment of Bell’s Palsy who often tell us that they sleep with a fan or near an open window. We seem to get a Bell’s Palsy patients in the office in the spring and fall more than any other season.
What are the symptoms of Bell’s Palsy?
Facial muscle weakness
Paralysis on one side of the face
Hard to close eyes
Excessive tearing or dry eyes
Loss of ability to taste
Pain in or behind the ears
Numbness in the affected area of the face
How do we treat Bell’s Palsy at CNS?
CNS focuses on acupuncture as a way to treat Bell’s Palsy patients. This form of acupuncture stops the pain, relaxes the facial paralysis, brings feeling back through the nerve endings, stops the drooling, tearing and helps the eye close again. We have observed that approximately 12-14 treatments are needed to return the face back to its normal look and feel.
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