Observation Of Period Shallow Acupuncture Curative Effect On Peripheral Facial Paralysis

Objective:1.To investigate effects of acupuncture treatment for peripheral facial paralysis at different stages.2.To study potencies of two measuring scales on assessment of peripheral facial paralysis.3.To supplement diagnosis or assessment criterions for peripheral facial paralysis and detect the appropriate time point to perform intervention.Methods:A review of medical records of outpatients in department of acupuncture rehabilitation in Jiangsu Province Hospital of TCM revealed60patients with peripheral facial paralysis according to Acupuncture (Regular Higher Education "Fifteen" National Planning Materials, X Shi). Of these,55patients (29acute patients in treatment group and26convalescent patients in control group) were enrolled in our study.1.Treatment Group:Acute patients (≤7d)Acupoints:Yangbai (GB14), Sibai (ST2), Dicang (ST4), Jiache (ST6), Quanliao (SI18), Fengchi (GB20), lieque (LU7), Hegu (LI4)(offside), taichong (LR3), Xiaguan (ST7). These were main points. Treatment procedure:Patients were treated on two phases. During the first7days of peripheral facial paralysis, patients were needled with single-use acupuncture pins (0.30-0.35mm×40mm size, Huatuo, Suzhou Medical Instrument Co. Ltd.) following disinfection on acupoints. Adjusted depth and angle of acupuncture pins with acupuncture manipulations to achieve needling response in patients (expressed as acid distending pain, withdrew pins if patients felt an electric shock feeling). Pins were remained for30minutes. After7days, acusector treatment (f2wave type) with XS-998photoelectricity instrument was added to previous acupuncture treatment on Yangbai (GB14), Sibai (ST2), Dicang (ST4), Jiache (ST6) for30minutes (6times/week, except Sunday as a course of treatment,4courses totally).Finally, all the data were analyzed. 2.Control Group:Convalescent patients (>7d,≤3months)Acupoints:Yangbai (GB14), Sibai (ST2), Dicang (ST4), Jiache (ST6), Quanliao (SI18), Fengchi (GB20), lieque (LU7), Hegu (LI4)(offside), taichong (LR3), Xiaguan (ST7). Main points were selected as same as in treatment group.Treatment procedure:Treatment was performed not on first7days of peripheral facial paralysis on acute phase but on convalescence after7days. Patients were needled with single-use acupuncture pins (0.30-0.35mm×40mm size, Huatuo, Suzhou Medical Instrument Co. Ltd.) following disinfection on acupoints. Adjusted depth and angle of acupuncture pins with acupuncture manipulations to achieve needling response in patients (expressed as acid distending pain, withdrew pins if patients felt an electric shock feeling). Then acusector treatment (f2wave type) with XS-998photoelectricity instrument was performed on Yangbai (GB14), Sibai (ST2), Dicang (ST4), Jiache (ST6) for30minutes (6times/week, except Sunday as a course of treatment,4courses totally). All the data were analyzed finally.Patients were graded by House-brackmann(H-B) and Toronto Sunnybrook measuring scales respectively. Observations lasted for4weeks from first acupuncture.All the data were analyzed by SPSS17.0software, with categorical data analyzed by x2test and measurement data analyzed by t test. A P value of less than0.05was considered statistically significant. Results:1. Graded by House-brackmann (H-B):Treatment group and control group expressed no significant difference (P>0.05) by t test before treatment. However, treatment group showed a significantly higher grade than control group (P=0.01) after1week treatment and a even more dramatic higher grade than control group (P<0.0001) after2,3,4weeks treatment, which was verified by x2test (x2=50.32, P<0.0001)2.Graded by Toronto Sunnybrook:Treatment group and control group expressed no significant difference (P>0.05) by t test before treatment. However, treatment group showed a significantly higher grade than control group (P=0.01) after1week treatment and a even more dramatic higher grade than control group (P<0.0001) after2,3,4weeks treatment, which was verified by x2test (x2=49.56, P<0.0001). Conclusion: 1.Results from two measuring scales were according to each other that a statistically significant difference was found after1week treatment, which suggested that acupuncture treatment was more effective on acute patients than on convalescent patients. Similarly, the dramatic differences between acute patients and convalescent patients after2,3,4weeks strongly suggested that acupuncture treatment was more effective on acute patients than on convalescent patients2.Different measuring scales showed a significant diversity in clinical researches.