Guest guest Posted July 17, 2003 Report Share Posted July 17, 2003 Thanks, Misty. Perhaps the reason so many other approaches have been found effective is that the allopathic monopoly does not have any effective approaches for things like Bell's Palsy even though they have (Flexner Report of 1911) denied anyone else being able to treat it. This typical " dog in the manger " approach to ALL disease-care in this country, whether or not it works, has served the economic purposes of the AMA for 100 years. It is about time that the more effective approaches get their chance. Walt Stoll, MD - " Misty L. Trepke " <mistytrepke Thursday, July 17, 2003 9:25 AM [s-A] Bell's Palsy & Acupuncture > It seems we are on a oriental medicine theme of late! > Be Well, > Misty L. Trepke > http://www..com > > Good Morning! > > Bell's palsy > > Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from damage to > the VII (facial) cranial nerve. This nerve disorder afflicts > approximately 40,000 Americans each year. It can strike almost > anyone at any age; however, it disproportionately attacks pregnant > women and people who have diabetes, influenza, a cold, or some other > upper respiratory ailment. In addition to one-sided facial paralysis > with possible inability to close the eye, symptoms of Bell's palsy > may include pain, tearing, drooling, hypersensitivity to sound in > the affected ear, and impairment of taste. The common cold sore > virus, herpes simplex, and other herpes viruses are the likely cause > of many cases of Bell's palsy. > > In Western medicine, recent studies have shown that steroids are > probably effective and that the drug acyclovir combined with > prednisone is possibly effective in improving facial function. Other > treatments are usually aimed at protecting the eye from drying at > nighttime. Some physicians may prescribe a corticosteroid drug to > help reduce inflammation and an analgesic to relieve pain. > > The prognosis for Bell's palsy is generally very good. With or > without treatment, most patients begin to get significantly better > within 2 weeks, and about 80 percent recover completely within 3 > months. For some, however, the symptoms may last longer. In a few > cases, the symptoms may never completely disappear. > > I have seen acupuncture get incredible results. Something I would > highly reccommend. Bell's Palsy is the most common disease of the > facial nerve. It is presumably due to an inflammatory reaction in or > around the facial nerve near the stylomastoid foramen. According to > Liu (1995), when acupuncture was initiated within three days post- > onset in 684 cases of facial nerve paralysis, 100 percent of the > patients were cured or there was a marked improvement (5). Other > studies (Gao, Chen, 1991) revealed that 80% of cases that were > treated at more than 2 months post-onset, and 83 percent of severe > cases, were cured or had excellent effect (6). Treatment, as with > this patient, may include numerous diagnostic procedures, different > classes of medications, lifestyle alterations, and still, continued > suffering. Acupuncture may often lead to significant clinical > improvement (7). > > > Andrew Pacholyk, LMT, MT-BC, CA > Peacefulmind.com > Therapies for healing > mind, body and spirit > > > > REFERENCES > 1. O'Connor J, Bensky D. Acupuncture a comprehensive text. Seattle: > Eastland Press 1981; 367-372. > 2. Ibid, 609-610. > 3. Stux G, Pomeranz B. Acupuncture textbook and atlas. Berlin: > Springer-Verlag 1987; 296. > 4. Evans RA, Hames ML, Baguley DM, Moffat DA. Reliability of the > House and Brackmann grading system for facial palsy. J Laryngol Otol > Nov 1989; 103(11): 1045. > 5. Liu YT. A new classification system and combined treatment method > for idiopathic facial nerve paralysis: report of 718 cases. Am JAcup > 1995; 23(3),205-210. > 6. Gao HB, Chen D. Clinical observation on 60 cases of peripheral > facial paralysis treated with acupointure penetration needling. Int > J Clin Acup 1991; 2(1),25-28. > 7. NIH Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture, National > Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD, Nov 1997; 93-109. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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