OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effects of different acupuncture methods for recovery of mimetic function in the patient of spontaneous facial paralysis.

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-four cases of facial paralysis were randomly divided into a mimetic muscle acupuncture group (mimetic muscle group, n = 79) and a routine acupoint group (n = 55). The mimetic muscle group were treated by encircling needling frontal belly of epicranial muscle, orbicular muscle of eye, orbicular muscle of mouth and buccinator muscle, and the routine acupoint group with acupuncture at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yangbai (GB 14), Sibai (ST 2), Cuanzhu (BL 2), etc. on the affected side. Their therapeutic effects were compared after they were treated for 2 courses.

RESULTSThe effective rate and the good rate were 94.9% and 92.4% in the mimetic muscle group and 70.9% and 52.7% in the routine acupoint group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of needling the mimetic muscle on spontaneous facial paralysis is superior to that of the routine acupuncture therapy.