Definition of Facial Palsy Facial palsy, also known as facial nerve palsy, is a disease in which the main symptom is the skewing of the mouth and eyes to one side. It manifests as a motor dysfunction of the facial expression muscles. The patient’s face is often difficult to perform even the most basic movements such as raising the eyebrows, closing the eyes, and puckering the mouth. Causes of facial palsy There are many causes of facial palsy, usually caused by cerebrovascular disease, infectious disease, and spasm of the nutrient vessels of the facial nerve. Clinical manifestations of facial palsy Patients are mainly characterized by distorted mouth and eyes. Most patients often find that one cheek does not move well and the mouth is distorted when they wash their faces or rinse their mouths in the early morning. The forehead lines on the face of the patient disappear, the eye fissures are enlarged, the nasolabial folds are flattened, the corners of the mouth droop, and the corners of the mouth are skewed to the healthy side when the teeth are exposed. When the cheeks are puffed and whistled, the affected side of the mouth leaks air because the lips cannot be closed. When eating, food residues are often placed in the gap between the teeth and cheeks on the affected side, and saliva often trips down from that side. Facial palsy is divided into peripheral facial palsy and central facial palsy according to the location of nerve damage. The difference between the two: whether the frontal lines on the affected side become shallow or disappear, and whether the frontal lines become shallow or disappear is called peripheral facial palsy. Treatment principles and methods 1. Rehabilitation treatment principles of facial palsy The early treatment of facial palsy is mainly based on medication to improve local blood circulation and eliminate inflammation and edema of facial nerve. In the later stage, the main treatment is functional training of the facial muscles to promote muscle fiber contraction and blood circulation, hypertrophy and strengthening of the innervated muscle fibers, effective control of facial muscle spasm and prevention of facial muscle atrophy, and promotion of functional recovery. 2. Treatment of facial palsy (1) Drug therapy: In addition to the treatment of cerebrovascular and other primary diseases, for idiopathic peripheral facial palsy, prednisone or dexamethasone can be given orally for anti-inflammation, and vitamin B1, B12 and methylcobalamin for nerve nutrition. In some patients, the eyelids cannot be closed, which may lead to infection. Eye drops can be used during the daytime, and eye ointment and gauze can be used to cover the affected eye during sleep at night. (2) Physiotherapy: ultrashort wave therapy can be given according to the patient’s condition during the acute period, and infrared radiation can be used after the acute period; low and medium frequency therapy can be added during the recovery period. (3) Traditional treatment: acupuncture, facial cupping, acupuncture point patching, etc. (4) Patching treatment for facial palsy. (3) Exercise therapy for facial palsy The following functional exercises can be performed for facial palsy: (1) Eyebrow raising training: try your best to raise the eyebrows on the affected side upward. (2) Eye closure training: force the eye fissure to close. (3) Nose shrugging training: pull the skin of the nose upward. (4) Show teeth training: forcefully make the teeth bared and move the corners of the mouth to the side. (5) Nuzzle training: forcefully contract the lips of the mouth and nuzzle forward. (6) Cheek puffing training: Ask the patient to close the lips as tightly as possible to inflate the cheeks bilaterally. Training 2-3 times a day, 10-20 times each action, can promote the whole facial expression muscle to restore normal.