Objective

2

To compare the effect of acupuncture-moxibustion on idiopathic facial palsy (IFP) at acute phase and recovery phase.

Methods

2

According to whether received acupuncture-moxibustion at acute phase or not

198 IFP patients were divided into an early-phase intervention group (118 cases) and a non-early-phase intervention group (80 cases). With the propensity score matching employed

70 cases were included in each group. On the basis of the conventional treatment of western medicine

acupuncture-moxibustion was supplemented in the two groups. In the early-phase intervention group

acupuncture-moxibustion was delivered at the acute phase (duration of illness≤7 days); in the non-early-phase intervention group

acupuncture-moxibustion was operated at the recovery phase (duration of illness>7 days). At the acute phase

warm needling was performed at Yifeng (TE17)

Xiaguan (ST7)

Hegu (LI4) and Zusanli (ST36) on the affected side; and at the recovery phase

electroacupuncture was delivered at Cuanzhu (BL2)

Sizhukong (TE23) and Yangbai (GB14)

etc. on the affected side

with the disperse-dense wave and 2 Hz/100 Hz of frequency. The intervention was operated for 30 min each time

once every two days

three treatments weekly and for 4 weeks. Before treatment

1 week and 4 weeks of treatment

the House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grade

the score of Sunnybrook facial nerve function

and the score of facial disability index (FDI) were compared between the two groups. The clinical effect in 1 and 4 weeks of treatment and safety were evaluated.

Results

2

In 1 and 4 weeks of treatment

the H-B grade was improved when compared with that before treatment in each group (

P

<

0.05)

and in 4 weeks of treatment

H-B grade in the early-phase intervention group was superior to that of the non-early-phase intervention group (

P

<

0.05). In 1 and 4 weeks of treatment

Sunnybrook scores and the scores of physical function of FDI were elevated in comparison with those before treatment in the two groups (

P

<

0.05); and in 4 weeks of treatment

the elevation of these two indexes in the early-phase intervention group was greater than that of the non-early-phase intervention group (

P

<

0.05). In 4 weeks of treatment

the scores of social function in FDI were reduced when compared with those before treatment in the two groups (

P

<

0.05). In 4 weeks of treatment

the total effective rate (97.1%

68/70) in the early-phase intervention group was higher than that (87.1%

61/70) of the non-early-phase intervention group (

P

<

0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (

P

>

0.05).

Conclusion

2

Acupuncture-moxibustion therapy starting at the acute phase is more beneficial to the functional recovery of the impaired facial nerve than at the recovery phase in the IFP patients.