We experienced two cases of paralysis in the facial area treated with complementary oriental medicine.
Case 1
A 68-year-oid female presented herself in the emergency department at the Iwate Medical University with a complaint of facial deformity.
She was diagnosed as left facial paralysis with ptosis and drooping of a corner of the mouth.
In our clinic, she was first treated with stellate ganglion block, steroids and antivirals.
One week later, we adopted trans-cutaneous electric stimulation therapy and 2 months later used acupuncture. All the symptoms disappeared over a 9 month period.
Case 2
A 49-year-old female was referred to Iwate Medical University Department of Oral Maxillo-facial Surgery because of her facial itching and hypesthesia.
She was diagnosed as herpes zoster and transferred to our clinic. She was treated with stellate ganglion block, trans-cutaneous electric stimulation therapy and steroids.
One month later, her symptoms were partially lessened.
Two months later, a diagnosis of peripheral trigeminal nerve paralysis of the fist, second and third divisions, was established after a complete medical examination.
After that, her paresthesia gradually changed neuralgia-like in spite of our clinical care.
Five years later, her symptoms improved to a certain extent with the use of acupuncture.
Conclusion
We conclude that oriental medicine is effective in the treatment of paralysis.

  A 16-year-old male with autism underwent a preanesthetic examination under intravenous sedation before dental surgery under general anesthesia, because he had resisted all treatment.  To relieve the patient of physical and mental stress before he was brought to the operating room and venipuncture was performed for an intravenous drip, we administered midazolam to him orally.  The patient was in the habit of having coffee every morning using the same cup. Such adherence is characteristics of autismtic individuals. We, therefore, put midazolam in his morning cup. He drank it with good grace. As a result, he fell into a sedated state. We were thereafter able to smoothly bring on general anesthesia.  Our experience suggested that careful management allowing for disease characteristic could lead to the provision of hogh-quality medical services for mentally challenged patients.