A close look at an integrative treatment package for Bell's palsy in Korea

Needles, Herbs, and Electricity: A Meta-Analysis of Traditional Eastern Medicine in the Management of Facial Paralysis

In Eastern nations, interventions like acupuncture and herbal medicine are often first-line for patients presenting with facial paralysis. Despite the rising popularity of Eastern medicine in Western nations, the literature assessing whether Eastern medicine interventions should be recommended for patients with facial paralysis is lacking. This meta-analysis aims to define what Eastern medicine interventions exist for the management of facial paralysis and assess whether current research supports these approaches as safe and effective. The PubMed and Cochrane databases were reviewed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria consisted of peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2023 that reported on Eastern medicine, also described as, "complementary" or "alternative" interventions for facial paralysis. Effective and cured rates were the primary outcomes extracted from the literature. Interventions within these studies were categorized into six groups: (1) standard acupuncture, (2) special needle therapies, (3) needle therapy + other alternative treatments, (4) herbal medicine, (5) alternative treatments + Western medicine, and (6) Western medicine alone. A multiple-treatment meta-analysis was performed to assess differences in effective and cured rates. Fifteen studies involving Eastern medicine for the treatment of facial paralysis met the inclusion criteria. No significant differences were found in effective and cured rates across groups. Multiple quality concerns were noted, such as the lack of control groups, blinding, and randomization noted in several studies. Many studies failed to report complications, preventing conclusions from being drawn on the safety of these Eastern medicine interventions. This meta-analysis was unable to support the recommendation of Eastern medicine approaches for patients with facial paralysis. No Eastern medicine treatments, combination of Eastern medicine treatments, or Eastern medicine treatments given with Western medicine were seen to be more effective than Western medicine alone.

Analysis of factors associated with patients' global impression of change scores in inpatients with peripheral facial palsy: A retrospective study at a Korean Medicine Hospital

The incidence of peripheral facial palsy is on the rise, with psychological issues influencing quality of life due to visible symptoms. Consequently, patient-reported outcome measures are critical in assessing the disease burden and the treatment efficacy of peripheral facial palsy from patients' perspective. This study examines factors influencing patients' global impression of change (PGIC) scores, a type of patient-reported outcome measure, in hospitalized patients with peripheral facial palsy. This retrospective study analyzed the electronic medical records of 200 patients with peripheral facial palsy who were admitted to the Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University Medical Center from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Impact of demographic, electrophysiological, intervention, and clinical factors on PGIC scores were evaluated. Descriptive statistics showed that the length of hospitalization (P = .020), time from disease onset to hospitalization (P = .022), lacrimal disorders (P = .002), House-Brackmann (HB) grade evaluated at admission (P = .016) and at discharge (P < .001), improvement in HB-grade from admission to discharge (P = .002), and total facial disability index (FDI) score at discharge (P < .001) were significantly associated with PGIC scores. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, HB-grade at admission (OR: 13.89, 95% CI: 2.18-113.60), length of stay (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.07-0.92), time from disease onset to hospitalization (OR: 5.55, 95% CI: 1.36-24. 77), tear-related symptoms (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96), total FDI score (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.20-0.98), and greater improvement in HB-grade at discharge compared to admission (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02-0.31) were significantly associated with PGIC scores. Patients with milder initial disease severity, hospitalization period exceeding 7 days, shorter time from disease onset to hospitalization, improvement of lacrimal symptoms, total FDI score, and HB-grade between admission and discharge experienced more significant subjective improvement in peripheral facial palsy.

Development of the Korean Medicine Core Outcome Set for Facial Palsy: herbal medicine treatment of patients with facial palsy in primary clinics

Introduction

Facial palsy (FP) significantly affects the quality of life of patients and poses a treatment challenge in primary healthcare settings. This study aimed to develop a Korean medicine (KM) core outcome set (COS) for FP, with a focus on evaluating the effectiveness of herbal medicine (HM) treatments in KM primary clinics.

Methods

Outcomes and effect modifiers related to FP treatments were initially identified through related review articles. Subsequently, experts in the field took part in three rounds of modified Delphi consensus exercises to refine and prioritize these outcomes and effect modifiers. Additionally, primary KM clinicians were involved in a Delphi consensus round to assess the suitability and feasibility of the proposed COS in real-world clinical settings.

Results

The initial review of related literature identified 44 relevant studies, resulting in an initial selection of 23 outcomes and 10 effect modifiers. The expert consensus process refined these to 8 key outcomes and 6 effect modifiers, which established the foundation of the COS-FP-KM. Subsequently, primary KM clinicians confirmed the practicality and applicability of the COS, endorsing its suitability for use in KM primary clinics.

Conclusion

The COS-FP-KM establishes a standardized approach for assessing HM treatment effectiveness in FP patients in KM primary clinics. The COS-FP-KM encourages consistent outcome reporting and enhances patient care quality. Future work should aim to integrate broader stakeholder perspectives to refine and validate the COS further.

The Impact of Early Acupuncture on Bell's Palsy Recurrence: Real-World Evidence from Korea

Evidence-based treatment for Bell's palsy includes the administration of steroids within 3 days of symptom onset. Additionally, a few studies have suggested the importance of combining early acupuncture treatment in the acute phase of Bell's palsy with steroids. This study aimed to observe the impact of early acupuncture for Bell's palsy using real-world health insurance data in Korea. This retrospective study extracted data from 45,986 adult patients with Bell's palsy who received steroids between 2015 and 2017 with a follow-up period of at least 3 years until 2020 from the Korea National Health Insurance database. They were divided into the early acupuncture group (n = 28,267) and the comparison group (n = 17,719) based on the presence of an acupuncture treatment code within 7 days of diagnosis. The impact of early acupuncture on the likelihood of Bell's palsy recurrence was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. The patients in the early acupuncture group had a lower likelihood of recurrence (odds ratio: 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.69-0.95). This study observed a beneficial impact of early acupuncture on Bell's palsy using real-world health insurance data in Korea. Further research is required to confirm these findings.

A spadework for integrative medicine based critical pathways for facial palsy: Web-based survey from traditional Korean medicine doctors

Patients affected with facial palsy consult both traditional Korean medicine doctors and conventional medicine doctors. Considering that the optimal approach varies depending on the progress of the disease, there is a need for facial palsy management through integrated medical care. However, no critical pathway has been developed to manage facial palsy from an integrated medical perspective. The aims of this study were to (a) explore treatment utilization status and awareness for facial palsy; (b) understand possible traditional Korean medicine modalities; and (c) suggest interventions to be included in integrated medical service for treating facial palsy. Regarding existing papers in relevant field, draft of questionnaire was firstly established. Eight-person development committee was comprised and reviewed the draft and modified the items of questionnaire. As an independent committee, the authors of present study have rechecked the validity and reliability of modified items of questionnaire. A questionnaire was developed comprising 21 items, including demographic characteristics, clinical statement, recognition, and demands and directions to improve the quality of newly developing critical pathways. Using the services of the Association of Korean Medicine and Medistream, the questionnaire was sent via a web-based survey to traditional Korean medicine doctors. A total of 1017 valid questionnaires were collected from traditional Korean medicine doctors. Of the total doctors who responded, over 75% stated that they utilized integrated medical systems in various forms. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and thermal therapy were presented as key traditional Korean medicine treatments to be included in the critical pathway for the establishment of integrated medical services. Conversely, corticosteroids, antivirals, and blood sugar management were chosen to be critical among conventional medical treatments. Considering the responses collected in the present study and the progressive nature of facial palsy, various interventions in both conventional and traditional Korean medicine services need to be included in relevant critical pathways. If the critical pathway developed based on the present study is established, relevant clinical practice guidelines could be made available in an integrated medical system.

Improved Iatrogenic Facial Nerve Paralysis Based on House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading System by Using Acupuncture Therapy: A Case Report

Background

Iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis is often caused by surgical procedures on temporomandibular joint due to temporomandibular disorder. It can affect the quality of life of the patient due to the facial nerve's importance in communication and expressions.

Case

We hereby report a case of a 22-year-old man with right facial nerve paralysis after he had arthroplasty surgery. He received Mefenamic Acid 3 × 500 mg (if necessary) and Mecobalamin 1 × 500 mg. He was treated with manual acupuncture therapy for 3 times a week with 30 minutes of each session until he has reached the deqi sensation. Acupuncture points used were points on the affected side and several points on both sides.

Results

The patient underwent acupuncture treatments for 28 sessions in 4.5 months. On the eighth session, the patient had no visible right lagophthalmos. The patients' jaws could open normally after the 12th session, and at the end of the sessions (28th) the patient could raise and lower his right eyebrow perfectly. We found that patient's facial nerve function was improved to normal based on House-Brackmann facial nerve grading system. The nerve conduction velocity and electromyography test results also improved.

Conclusions

Acupuncture should be considered as one of the therapeutic tools for treating iatrogenic facial nerve paralysis.

Distribution of Medical Service Use for Facial Palsy Between Medicine and Traditional Korean Medicine Based on Population-Based Data of Korea

We investigated the distribution of medical service uses for Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome between medicine and traditional Korean medicine using the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort data of Korea from 2006 to 2015. Patients were identified with diagnostic codes and medication or treatment claim codes. For Bell's palsy, there were 5,970 (68.8%) patients who used traditional Korean medical service only, whereas for Ramsay Hunt syndrome, there were 749 (93.6%) patients who used medical service only. The proportion of traditional Korean medical service use was higher than that of medical service use in patients with Bell's palsy, while the opposite was found in patients with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

Comparative Analgesia Between Acupuncture and Dipyrone in Odontalgia

The aim of this study was to assess whether the effectiveness of acupuncture is similar to the use of analgesics in the management of toothache. The research included 56 volunteers who were divided into 4 groups: Real Acupuncture group, Placebo Acupuncture group, Real Dipyrone group, and Placebo Dipyrone group. The interventions of the study were performed before the dental care. Inclusion criteria were toothache of pulpal origin with pain scale (Visual Analogue Scale) above 4, absence of medication for the pain, and aged over 18 years. The Real Acupuncture volunteers received a session of acupuncture using piercing needles, while volunteers from the Placebo Acupuncture group received an acupuncture session using non-piercing sham needles. Volunteers from the Real Dipyrone group received a dipyrone tablet and the Placebo Acupuncture group received a tablet with no active ingredient. Before any therapeutic intervention, we collected samples from the volunteers' saliva to analyze the salivary cortisol, the volunteers rated the intensity of their pain using VAS, and we measured their energy level by the Ryodoraku method. After 20 minutes of treatment, all the volunteers' analysis parameters were collected again. The Real Acupuncture group presented a greater reduction of VAS than the reduction obtained by the Real Dipyrone group (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for the salivary cortisol and energy level variables. It can be concluded that acupuncture was more effective in reducing odontalgia than the dipyrone and that it can be an alternative for odontalgia management.