How long does it take for acupuncture to show effects in treating facial paralysis and a crooked mouth?
Nov 02, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. He Haochen
Introduction
The effectiveness of acupuncture for facial paralysis with mouth deviation depends on the severity of the condition. If the facial paralysis and mouth deviation are mild, noticeable or even excellent results can generally be achieved after about 10 acupuncture sessions. However, in severe cases of facial paralysis with mouth deviation, it may take half a month to one month of acupuncture treatment before significant improvement becomes apparent.
The time required for acupuncture to take effect in treating facial paralysis with mouth deviation depends on the severity of the condition. If the facial paralysis with mouth deviation is mild, acupuncture usually yields noticeable or even excellent results after about 10 sessions. However, if the facial paralysis with mouth deviation is severe, it may take half a month to a month before significant improvement becomes apparent. Specific details are as follows:
If the patient seeks treatment during the acute phase, therapeutic effects typically appear quickly. Generally, after 3–5 treatments, patients begin to feel initial recovery in the facial area—such as slight movement returning to the eyebrows or mouth—followed by gradual restoration of overall facial muscle function.
If the patient has already been suffering for a prolonged period—for instance, more than one month—the response to treatment tends to be slower and the outcome less favorable. In such cases, it may take approximately one full course of treatment before recovery begins. The speed of recovery from facial paralysis with mouth deviation is closely related to the degree of facial nerve damage: the greater the nerve injury, the slower the response and the poorer the prognosis. In cases involving damage within the facial nerve canal, acupuncture usually starts showing effects after about 3–5 sessions, and healing can often be achieved within approximately ten sessions.
The speed at which improvement is achieved also depends on the skill level of the physician. Additionally, factors such as whether the patient has complications like diabetes or hypertension, poor physical constitution, advanced age, or psychological factors, can all influence the rate of recovery from facial paralysis with mouth deviation.
