Integrated naturopathic and acupuncture interventions for facial nerve paralysis: A clinical case report

A BSTRACT Facial palsy is a pathological condition involving dysfunction of the facial nerve, leading to hemifacial paresis on either side, depending on the location of the lesion. The lesion can be upper motor neuron or lower motor neuron. This was a known case of a 36-year-old male who had a history of vestibular Schwannoma; postsurgery, the subject developed facial palsy on the right side of the face along with deafness on the same side. The subject attended a healing workshop at Kaivalyadhama Yoga and Research Institute, where he received naturopathic treatments, a sattvic diet, acupuncture, and moxibustion for 6 days. Each session was about 25 min, with moxibustion for 5–7 min. Improvement in facial paralysis was measured using the Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (FGS). The SAQ scores remained stable at 20% post treatment. However, the FGS composite score improved from 25 (pretreatment) to 38 (posttreatment) indicating a notable improvement in facial sensation, facial movements, and facial muscle symmetry. The results emphasize the benefits of an integrated therapeutic approach for the treatment of facial palsy, in supplementation with Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments.