Bell's palsy is still as mysterious today as it was almost 200 years ago when it was first identified. Doctors are still not certain what causes this sudden facial muscle weakness or paralysis, which typically ends within three months of onset. Most patients completely recover without any therapy, but some patients whose recovery starts beyond the three month mark experience residual effects. The main residual effect is unsynchronized or uncoordinated facial movements, or synkinesis, which can be mild to severe. When this occurs, physical therapy treatment can help patients with their condition, and get their coordinated facial expressions back.
Instructions
Treatment for Bell's Palsy and Synkinesis
1. Look into antiviral therapy, combined with steroids. This is one of the few treatments doctors use to combat the condition from early on.
2. Identify, with an experienced Bell's palsy therapist, the muscles that are working normally and the ones that aren't. This takes careful observation by a trained eye.
3. Learn stop the activity of the out-of-sequence muscles. Over time, spasms and tightness subside and you get more at ease with controlling the movement.
4. Talk to your doctor about Botox injections in the muscles that are interfering with normal movement. There is some promise that this may help with controlling the competing muscle movements by freezing the counteractive ones. This may improve your therapy results.
Tags: Bell Palsy, Bell palsy, muscles that, with controlling