The effect of acupuncture treatment on ending peripheral facial nerve paralysis was examined using standard set by the Japan Society of Facial Nerve Treatment. A comparison was made of how recovery was affected by acupuncture treatment alone, drug treatment alone, and a combination of drugs (steroids) and acupuncture.
As a result we found that 1) in groups having an ENoG of 41% or more, the acupuncture-only group showed less recovery than did the group that received oral steroids. 2) Among the groups having an ENoG of 21% or more, there was no significant difference between the group given oral steroids and the group given both steroids and acupuncture treatment. 3) For groups having an ENoG of 1%-20%, there was no difference in recovery between the group given large doses of injected steroids and the group given large doses of injected steroids concommitant with acupuncture. But the group that was given both oral steroids and acupuncture did not recover as well as the other groups. 4) A comparison of the groups receiving only medication and receiving medication with acupuncture showed there was no special hastening of recovery seen with the administration of acupuncture; in fact, the acupuncture may have even delayed recovery.
The above results indicate that the administration of steroids is more important than the use acupuncture in the treatment of peripheral facial nerve paralysis, and that a suitable treatment should commence within 7 days after the occurrence of symptoms.