Clinical observation on acupoint sticking therapy plus electroacupuncture for treating peripheral facial paralysis

Abstract

Objective

To observe the clinical effect of acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus electroacupuncture (EA) for treating peripheral facial paralysis and its influence on patients’ facial nerve functions, facial disability index and clinical symptoms and signs.

Methods

A total of 96 peripheral facial paralysis patients were allocated into an observation group, a medicine group and an EA group by simple randomization, with 32 cases in each group. Patients in the medicine group were treated with oral mecobalamine and prednisone acetate; patients in the EA group were treated with EA on the basis of the medicine treatment; while patients in the observation group were treated with acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus EA. After 4-week treatment, the clinical efficacy, the adverse events, and the scores of House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grading scale, visual analog scale (VAS), clinical symptoms and signs, and facial disability index (FDI) were compared.

Results

After 4-week treatment, the total effective rate was 96.9% in the observation group, higher than 68.7% in the medicine group and 75.0% in the EA group (both P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, the scores of H-B grading scale, VAS and clinical symptoms and signs in the three groups dropped significantly compared with those before treatment, and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the medicine group and EA group (all P<0.05). After 4-week treatment, the facial disability index-physical function (FDIP) in the FDI in the three groups increased significantly, with a higher value in the observation group compared with that in the medicine group and EA group (both P<0.05). The facial disability index-social function (FDIS) in the FDI dropped significantly, with a lower score in the observation group compared with that in the medicine group and EA group (both P<0.05). However, the comparisons of the items above between the medicine group and the EA group showed no statistical significance (all P>0.05). The between-group comparison of the adverse event across the three groups showed no statistical significance (P>0.05).

Conclusion

Acupoint sticking therapy with Mian Tan Gao (facial paralysis paste) plus EA can decrease H-B grade, reduce pain severity and improve clinical symptoms and signs as well as the facial disability condition in peripheral facial paralysis patients. This method produced more significant efficacy compared with oral medicine and medicine plus EA.

摘要

目的: 观察面瘫膏穴位贴敷加电针对周围性面瘫患者面神经功能、面部残疾及临床症状与体征的影响。 方法: 共纳入周围性面瘫患者96例, 按简单随机化方法分为观察组、药物组和电针组, 每组32例。药物组予以口 服甲钴胺与醋酸泼尼松治疗, 电针组于此基础上加用电针治疗, 观察组予以面瘫膏穴位贴敷加电针治疗。比较三 组患者治疗4周后的临床疗效, 观察不良反应, 以及治疗前后House-Brackmann(H-B)面神经功能分级量表评分、疼 痛视觉模拟量表(VAS)评分、临床症状与体征评分, 以及面部残疾指数评分(FDI)情况。 结果: 治疗4周后, 观察组 的总有效率96.9%, 高于药物组的68.7%和电针组的75.0%(均P<0.05)。 治疗4周后, 3组的H-B分级评分、VAS评分及 临床症状与体征评分均较治疗前下降, 且观察组评分均低于药物组和电针组(均P<0.05)。 治疗4周后, 3组FDI评分 中躯体功能评分(FDIP)较治疗前提高, 且观察组高于药物组和电针组(均P<0.05); 社会生活功能评分(FDIS)较治疗 前降低, 且观察组低于药物组和电针组(均P<0.05); 而药物组与电针组的以上各项评分差异均无统计学意义(均 P>0.05)。 三组不良反应发生率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05) 结论: 面瘫膏穴位贴敷加电针治疗周围性面瘫, 能 降低H-B分级, 减轻疼痛程度, 改善临床症状与体征以及面部残疾状况, 疗效优于口服药物及药物加电针治疗。