Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy

How Chinese medicine understands Bell’s palsy

In Chinese medicine, Bell’s palsy is called “deviation of the mouth and eye”. It is usually seen as Wind entering the channels of the face when the body’s defences are low, for example after a cold, a draught on one side of the face, or a period of stress and poor sleep. The Wind blocks the flow of Qi and Blood through the facial muscles, so they stop working properly.

The common patterns are:

• Wind-Cold. The palsy follows exposure to cold or wind, such as sleeping by an open window or driving with the window down. The face may feel stiff, and there are few signs of heat.
• Wind-Heat. It comes with a sore throat, pain behind the ear, a fever or a cold, and a red tongue.
• Qi and Blood deficiency. Recovery is slow, the muscles stay weak or tight, and you feel tired. In this view, the face is not being nourished well enough to repair.

Timing matters. Early on, treatment aims to clear the Wind and ease inflammation. Later, it focuses more on nourishing the muscles and helping them move again.

What treatment involves

Bell’s palsy must be assessed by a doctor first, and acupuncture is support alongside that medical care, not a replacement for it.

Your first visit includes a lot of questions: when the weakness began, how it has changed, what your doctor found and prescribed, and your general health. I look at your tongue and take your pulse. An assessment usually includes checking which facial movements are affected, which gives a baseline to compare against.

Acupuncture commonly uses points on both sides of the face, around the ear and on the hands and legs, chosen for your pattern and the stage of recovery. Early on, needling on the face is usually light. Treatment aims to support the facial muscles and circulation while the nerve heals, and to ease the pain behind the ear. Gentle moxibustion may be added for a Wind-Cold pattern. For a slow recovery, Chinese herbal medicine can add a formula written for you, dispensed at the clinic in Keswick.

Plan on 5–10 treatments to judge progress, and keep your doctor informed.

Between visits

• Protect the eye. If it does not close fully, use the drops, ointment or tape your doctor recommended, and wear glasses outside.
• Keep the face warm and out of cold wind and drafts.
• Do gentle facial exercises in a mirror, if your doctor or physiotherapist gave them. Avoid forcing big movements.
• Eat on the good side and rinse your mouth after meals.
• Rest and sleep well. Recovery tends to be slower when you are run down.

When to see your doctor first

New facial weakness must always be assessed by a doctor first, to rule out a stroke. Call 911 right away if facial drooping comes with arm or leg weakness, numbness, slurred or confused speech, trouble walking, vision loss or a severe headache. Think FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, Time to call 911.

Also see your doctor promptly if:

• Both sides of your face are weak.
• The weakness keeps getting worse after the first few days, or other parts of the body feel weak or numb.
• You have a rash or blisters around the ear, which can mean shingles.
• You have had a tick bite, fever or joint pain (Lyme disease).
• Your eye is painful or red, or your vision changes. This is urgent.
• There is no sign of improvement after three weeks.