Functional profile in patients with facial paralysis treated in a myofunctional approach.
BACKGROUND
Clinical rehabilitation of peripheral facial paralysis (PFP).


OBJECTIVE
To delineate the contributions of myofunctional exercises during the flaccid phase of the disorder, before any sequelae.


METHODS
147 promptuaries of patients with facial paralysis were analyzed and divided in two groups according to the period in which rehabilitation began. For the analysis of development, the classifications proposed by House and Brackmann (1985) and Ross et al. (1994) were used.


RESULTS
According to the classification of House and Brackmann (1985), all of the individuals who had sequelae reached level III. However, it was observed that even in cases of severe nerve lesion, cases in which the sequelae were non-acceptable, patients who started treatment at an early stage, revealed a better functional result when evaluated according to the classification of Ross et al. (1994).


CONCLUSIONS
The myofunctional approach demonstrated to be an effective method for the functional reestablishment in cases of facial paralysis.
Bernardes
Daniele Fontes Ferreira
DF
Curso de Pós-Gradução da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. danifontes@bol.com.br
Gomez
Maria Valéria Schmidt Goffi
MV
Pirana
Sulene
S
Bento
Ricardo Ferreira
RF
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020247:Myofunctional Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome