An American celebrity Carnie Wilson: “Who believes in Acupuncture? I’m treating my Bell’s Palsy with it. IT’S WORKING.” (more on medicaldaily.com)

Just wanted you all 2 know that I have Bell’s Palsy on lf side of face right now. Scary, unfortunate, but it goes away. A challenge! Love u.

— Carnie Wilson (@CarnieWilson) March 14, 2013

What is Bell’s Palsy?

It is a condition characterised by a sudden, temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, typically on one side of the face. It is caused by inflammation or damage to the facial nerve, which controls the movement of the muscles in the face. Bell’s palsy can cause a variety of symptoms, including drooping of the eyelid or corner of the mouth, difficulty smiling or closing the eye on one side, drooling, a decrease in taste sensation, and hypersensitivity to sound in one ear.

Role of acupuncture

Acupuncture for Bell’s palsy was recommended by the World Health Organization in 2002. There were a number of recent controlled trials which investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture. A recent study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has shown that not only is acupuncture effective for Bell’s Palsy, but stronger acupuncture stimulation leads to significantly better results. This is a crucial discovery, as it helps us treat this condition with acupuncture more effectively, and adds to the growing evidence that acupuncture has real, measurable benefits beyond just a placebo effect.

Why to start acupuncture as early as possible

A study published in 2021 summarised 15 randomised controlled trials and data from 2847 patients. They found that acupuncture was as effective as prednisone. However acupuncture was more effective when treatments started within a week of developing the condition. So, start acupuncture as early as possible.