Objective

2

To observe the clinical efficacy of the parallel needling technique for peripheral facial paralysis with

qi

deficiency and blood stasis.

Methods

2

Sixty-two patients with peripheral facial paralysis of

qi

deficiency and blood stasis were randomly assigned to a parallel needling group and a conventional acupuncture group

with 31 patients in each group. The conventional acupuncture group received needling at Yangbai (GB 1

4)

Quanliao (SI 18)

Jiache (ST 6)

Dicang (ST 4)

Yifeng (TE 17) on the affected side

Hegu (LI 4) on the healthy side

and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36)

Sanyinjiao (SP 6)

Xuehai (SP 10) and Qihai (CV 6) etc. The parallel needling group

in addition to the conventional acupuncture points

received parallel needling at three additional groups of acupoints

i.e. forehead wrinkle group

mid-face group

and corner of the mouth group. Both groups retained needles for 30 min

with one session every other day and a total of three sessions per week

lasting for four weeks. The House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grading

physical function (FDIP) and social function (FDIS) scores of facial disability index (FDI)

TCM syndrome score before and after treatment were compared between the two groups

and the clinical efficacy was assessed.

Results

2

Compared with before treatment

after treatment

both groups showed improvements in H-B facial nerve function grading (

P

<

0.05)

FDIP total scores and sub-item scores were increased (

P

<

0.05)

FDIS total scores

sub-item scores

and TCM syndrome scores were decreased (

P

<

0.05). After treatment

the parallel needling group showed the higher FDIP total score and eating sub-item score and lower FDIS total score and insomnia sub-item score compared with those in the conventional acupuncture group (

P

<

0.05). The total effective rate was 90.3% (28/31) in the parallel needling group and 87.1% (27/31) in the conventional acupuncture group

with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (

P

>

0.05).

Conclusion

2

The parallel needling technique combined with conventional acupuncture

is as effective as conventional acupuncture alone in treating facial paralysis with

qi

deficiency and blood stasis. However

the parallel needling technique combined with conventional acupuncture shows advantages in th

e improvement of food intake and sleep quality.