title: The Effects of Acupuncture on Peripheral Facial Palsy Sequelae after 20 Years via Electromyography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This research used electromyography to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on facial palsy peripheral sequelae.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 44-year-old woman who participated in this study presented sequelae resulting from 20 years of peripheral facial nerve palsy (FNP) on the right side and synkinesis in the left eye. In electromyography, the electrodes were positioned on the motor points over the orbicularis oris and the orbicularis oculi muscles to establish myofunctional feedback prior to and after rehabilitation, which consisted of 20-minute sessions of acupuncture once per week for 20 weeks: using manual stimulation at acupoints Yintang, LR3, GB21, CV17, ST2, ST3, ST6, ST7, GB2, and SI19; and Tou-Kuang-Min and ST4 using electrical stimulation with a 4-Hz pulsed current. The subjective pain intensities were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The root-mean-square (RMS) electromyographic comparative analysis showed greater activation and recruitment of muscle fibers on the right side and a reduced overload on the left side, which promoted a functional evolution of movements and a positive response in the stomatognathic system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture associated with electrical stimulation reversed the peripheral facial paralysis in a short time. Severe sequelae were minimized due to the balance of muscle activation in response to the electrical stimulation provided by the acupuncture needles.
authors.affiliation: Claretiano University Center, Biomechanics and Movement Analysis Laboratory, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: saulo.fabrin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Saulo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabrin
authors.affiliation: Claretiano University Center, Biomechanics and Movement Analysis Laboratory, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Physiology and Basic Pathology, Electromyography Laboratory of the Ribeirão Preto Dental School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone Cecilio Hallak
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Regalo
authors.affiliation: Claretiano University Center, Biomechanics and Movement Analysis Laboratory, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edson Donizetti
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Verri
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D004576:Electromyography; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
keywords: acupuncture; electromyographic; peripheral facial palsy; sequelae; stomatognathic