Transcranial Repetitive Acupuncture Therapy For Peripheral Facial Paralysis:An Study On Treatment Effectiveness And The Impact Of Needle Sensation On Facial Nervefunction

Objective:To closely scrutinize the efficacy and safety of transcranial repetitive acupuncture therapy in the context of restoring neurological function among individuals affected by peripheral facial paralysis,to compare the reported levels of needle sensation experienced during transcranial repetitive acupuncture therapy with those encountered during standard acupuncture therapy,and to provide empirical evidence that supports the hypothesis that needle sensation has a mediating effect on the therapeutic outcomes of peripheral facial paralysis.Method:A total of 64 patients diagnosed with peripheral facial paralysis were recruited from the Acupuncture Department ward of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine between January and December 2022.The patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into either an observation group(n=32)or a control group(n=32).Both groups underwent a standardized treatment protocol,were selected from B aihui,lower 1/5 of motor area(bilateral),Zanzhu(affected side),Sizhukong(affected side),Yangbai(affected side),Zygomaticus(affected side),Cheek Car(affected side),Di Cang(affected side),He Gu(bilateral),and Taichong(bilateral).In the observation group,transcranial repetitive acupuncture was applied to B aihui and the lower 1/5 of the motor area(both sides),and in the control group,transcranial repetitive acupuncture was not performed.Both groups received daily conventional acupuncture therapy for six consecutive days,followed by a one-day rest period,for a total of four treatment cycles.To evaluate the therapeutic outcomes,the patients in both groups underwent a battery of outcome measures,including the Sunnybrook scale,the Facial Disability Index(FDI),and electromyography(EMG)measurements of nerve conduction velocity and amplitude,both before and after the treatments.Additionally,a post-treatment questionnaire was administered to assess the Massachusetts General Hospital acupuncture sensation scale(MASS)after the first ses sion of each treatment cycle.The collected data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS version 26.0.Results:1.Upon examining the pre-treatment data of both groups,including general information,the evaluations using the Sunnybrook scale,the evaluations using the House-Brackmann Facial Nerve Grading System,the FDI score,and nerve conduction velocity and amplitude as measured by EMG,all results were subjected to statistical analysis.The outcome of this analysis showed no significant differences between the two groups,with a P value greater than 0.05 for each parameter,thus confirming their comparability.2.Within-Group Comparisons:Following the treatment,both groups showed a significant improvement in the Sunnybrook scale scores,the FDIS score in the FDI scale,and the nerve conduction velocity and amplitude as measured by EMG compared to pretreatment values(P<0.0 5).In addition,both groups had a significant decrease in the FDIP score in the FDI scale,the latency of nerve conduction velocity as measured by EMG,indicating statistically significant differences.3.Between Group Differences:Following the treatment,the observation group showed significantly higher scores in the Sunnybrook scale,the FDIS score in the FDI scale,and the nerve conduction velocity and amplitude as measured by EMG than the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,the observation group had significantly lower scores in the FDIP score in the FDI scale and the latency of nerve conduction velocity as measured by EMG than the control group(P<0.05),indicating statistically significant differences.4.MASS Index and Pearson Correlation:During the process of acupuncture therapy,the observation group of patients exhibited a statistically significant increase in the MASS index compared to the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,a strongly positive correlation was found between the MASS index and the Sunnybrook scale scores of both groups of patients(P<0.05),while a moderately positive correlation was observed between the MASS index and the FDIP scale scores(P<0.05).Conversely,no correlation was found between the MASS index and the patients’gender and FDIS index(P>0.05).5.Statistics of Efficacy Rates:Following the treatment,the total efficacy rate in the control group was 90.00%,while the total efficacy rate in the observation group was 76.67%.A comparison of the efficacy between the two groups showed a statistically significant difference with a P value lower than 0.05.Conclusion:1.Transcranial repetitive acupuncture therapy has the potential to effectively intervene in the clinical efficacy of patients with peripheral facial paralysis,exhibiting a stronger intervention effect compared to conventional acupuncture therapy,which makes it a widely applicable treatment option in clinical settings.2.Transcranial repetitive acupuncture therapy exhibits stronger needle sensation compared to conventional acupuncture therapy.The intensity of needle sensation has a moderate to strong correlation with the recovery of facial nerve function in patients with peripheral facial paralysis,while demonstrating only a weak correlation with the recovery of social function.