Also called peripheral facial paralysis and Bell’s palsy or syndrome. It is a paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face due to an inflammation of the facial nerve that controls the movements of these muscles.
Physiotherapy treatment
- Local heat: wet-warm compress for 10 minutes in the affected area, to improve circulation.
- Electrotherapy: although there is a controversy regarding the use and effectiveness, since the motor point of the muscle is stimulated and not the nerve.
- Muscular reeducation in front of a mirror: the main actions are aimed at achieving the correct functioning of the eye and mouth occlusion:
This stage is characterized by asymmetry at rest, voluntary minimum movements. Absence of synkinesis and severe functional damage. They will be made:
Assisted active exercises: the patient is assisted by the index and a half finger placed on the muscle to work towards the desired movement, holding them for a few seconds in the affected area.
Lift with your fingers the eyebrow involved and hold it for a few seconds. Manual assistance will progressively decrease according to muscle recovery.
Active exercises: the digital pressure is removed and work is requested in the following order: frontal, superciliary, levator superioris, canine, buccinator, tassel and square of the beard, triangular of the lips, cutaneous neck and finally the zygomatic. Examples of exercises:
- Contract the lips as if you were going to kiss (Orbicular lips and compressor).
- Dilate the wing of the nose to lift the upper lip and show the teeth (Dilator of the nose, canine, elevator of the upper lip).
- Expel air slowly, such as blowing through a straw (Buccinator, zygomatic major, minor zygomatic).
- Wide smile directing the labial commissure outwards and backwards (Risorio).
- Tighten the teeth as hard as possible (Cutaneous neck, triangular lips).
- Wrinkle the chin (Mirtiform, square of the beard, tassel of the beard).
- Elevate the eyebrows (Occipitofrontal).
- Join the eyebrows (Ciliar).
- Close the eyes (Orbicular of the eyelids).Learn more about your health and well-being at Pharmamedic.
