Effect of Nerve Mobilization of The Facial Nerve on Patients with Bell’s Palsy
Background- Nerve mobilization techniques are known to be effective in nerve rehabilitation; however, there is a lack of evidence regarding their effect on facial nerve mobilization in acute Bell’s palsy.
Objectives- The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of facial nerve mobilization over conventional physiotherapy in improving facial symmetry and synkinesis severity in patients with acute Bell’s palsy.
Methods: A total of 30 patients, both male and female, aged between 18 and 60 years with unilateral Bell’s palsy, were included in the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (n=15) received nerve mobilization and conventional physiotherapy, including facial exercises, facial massage and electrical stimulation, while Group B (n=15) received placebo nerve mobilization and conventional physiotherapy. Each group received interventions for 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks (18 sessions). Patients were assessed at the end of 3rd week and 6th week using the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SFGS) and Synkinesis Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) to measure recovery and effectiveness.
Results- After statistical analysis, both groups demonstrated significant improvements in facial symmetry and synkinesis severity, as reflected by the SFGS and SAQ scores. However, intergroup comparison revealed that Group A showed significantly greater improvement than Group B (p < 0.05).
Conclusion- Facial nerve mobilization is likely to be an effective adjunctive intervention in addition to conventional physiotherapy in improving facial symmetry and synkinesis severity in acute Bell’s palsy.