[Effect of needling the mimetic muscle on recovery of mimetic function in the patient of spontaneous facial paralysis].
OBJECTIVE
To observe therapeutic effects of different acupuncture methods for recovery of mimetic function in the patient of spontaneous facial paralysis.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty-four cases of facial paralysis were randomly divided into a mimetic muscle acupuncture group (mimetic muscle group, n = 79) and a routine acupoint group (n = 55). The mimetic muscle group were treated by encircling needling frontal belly of epicranial muscle, orbicular muscle of eye, orbicular muscle of mouth and buccinator muscle, and the routine acupoint group with acupuncture at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yangbai (GB 14), Sibai (ST 2), Cuanzhu (BL 2), etc. on the affected side. Their therapeutic effects were compared after they were treated for 2 courses.


RESULTS
The effective rate and the good rate were 94.9% and 92.4% in the mimetic muscle group and 70.9% and 52.7% in the routine acupoint group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic effect of needling the mimetic muscle on spontaneous facial paralysis is superior to that of the routine acupuncture therapy.
Chen
Ri-Han
RH
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Dongqiao Town Health-Center of Hui'an County, Quanzhou, Fujian 362141, China. 88crh@163.com
Chen
Ri-Li
RL
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult