Abstract
In Eastern nations, interventions like acupuncture and herbal medicine are often first-line
for patients presenting with facial paralysis. Despite the rising popularity of Eastern
medicine in Western nations, the literature assessing whether Eastern medicine interventions
should be recommended for patients with facial paralysis is lacking. This meta-analysis
aims to define what Eastern medicine interventions exist for the management of facial
paralysis and assess whether current research supports these approaches as safe and
effective. The PubMed and Cochrane databases were reviewed in accordance with PRISMA
guidelines. Inclusion criteria consisted of peer-reviewed studies published between
2000 and 2023 that reported on Eastern medicine, also described as, “complementary”
or “alternative” interventions for facial paralysis. Effective and cured rates were
the primary outcomes extracted from the literature. Interventions within these studies
were categorized into six groups: (1) standard acupuncture, (2) special needle therapies,
(3) needle therapy + other alternative treatments, (4) herbal medicine, (5) alternative
treatments + Western medicine, and (6) Western medicine alone. A multiple-treatment
meta-analysis was performed to assess differences in effective and cured rates. Fifteen
studies involving Eastern medicine for the treatment of facial paralysis met the inclusion
criteria. No significant differences were found in effective and cured rates across
groups. Multiple quality concerns were noted, such as the lack of control groups,
blinding, and randomization noted in several studies. Many studies failed to report
complications, preventing conclusions from being drawn on the safety of these Eastern
medicine interventions. This meta-analysis was unable to support the recommendation
of Eastern medicine approaches for patients with facial paralysis. No Eastern medicine
treatments, combination of Eastern medicine treatments, or Eastern medicine treatments
given with Western medicine were seen to be more effective than Western medicine alone.
Keywords
facial paralysis - Bell's palsy - alternative medicine - Eastern medicine - integrative
medicine
