Unmasking Bell’s Palsy: When Find More than Hope
I remember back in my high school art class, one of my classmates walked into the room and instantly I noticed that he had an eyepatch on. Spotting the confused looks from all the other people in the room, he rolled his one visible eye and explained what was probably the nth time that day.
“Half my face is paralyzed.”
As he spoke, I noticed that while the left side of his mouth moved and shaped along with the words, the right side just… stayed drooped. In fact, after further observation I realized that all of the muscles on that side of his face were just sagging, almost like a puppet who had their strings cut. He went on to explain that the reason for the eyepatch was because he was having trouble with controlling his right eyelid.
Most of us winced in sympathy and then went about the rest of the day. The next thing I knew, the rest of the year had gone by and his face… was still about the same. I vaguely remember him getting a little bit of movement back, but that was months later. It became a common sight, and because I never really heard him complain about it, I just assumed that it was just something he had to deal with aesthetically and that was it.
Fast forward more than a decade and a half later, and I finally learned the official term for what happened to my one classmate.
He likely had a case of Bell’s Palsy. (Named after Sir Charles Bell, Scottish Neurologist in the 19th century who had a significant amount of research regarding the aforementioned phenomenon).
Bell’s Palsy – What is it?
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bell’s palsy “is a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. It occurs when one of the nerves that controls muscles in the face becomes injured or stops working properly.”
Dr. Irene had treated several hundred cases of this over the years, but I still remember my first encounter with this after finally learning more about the condition.
That First Patient
We had gotten a few frantic calls, one after the other, that were quickly cut short before I could pick it up. Instead of immediately calling back, I waited. There was a chance that it was a prank call, or even a misdialed number. But my gut had told me that it was likely option three – it was like an anxious patient, too nervous to make the call.
When the phone didn’t immediately ring again (of course, when my hand was finally ready to grab it, wild west style), I went about my business and checked the work email.
There it was, a simple email asking to schedule an appointment with the doctor. A swift exchange of emails and I got my confirmation that this was that same anxious caller.
I later learned what made her so anxious.
The patient came in, and I could see it. The bandage over one eye, likely hiding the eyelid that refused to cooperate. The blatant divide that split her features between left and right, one side expressive while the other sagged against gravity.
This time, I could also recognize the pinched look in her eyes that said more about just how badly she felt than the entirety of her patient intake form. She came in with a recent diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy, and was hoping for some form of relief and possibly a miracle. Because you see, while it is understood that her facial paralysis would “simply go away on its own with time” there was no guarantee how long it would actually take.
While some could simply bear with it for a few weeks or months, our patient worked as a beautician by trade. She was uncomfortable with working with her clients while her face was in the state that it was – never mind the fact that she was clearly in a great deal of visible pain. The options given to her thus far had been to either wait it out, or take a slew of medications and potentially have surgery. Our patient wanted something less drastic, so someone recommended looking into acupuncture.
“I’ve seen and treated so many cases of Bell’s Palsy during my career,” Dr. Irene explained to me. “The extent differs from person to person, but the one common factor I’ve seen has been the suffering they all go through. Just because it’s not immediately life threatening doesn’t mean that it isn’t something that isn’t negatively impacting their lives – whether due to immediate pain or discomfort. It affects the aesthetic of a person. And, it can potentially ruin a person for life.”
“Time is of the essence when it comes to the treatment of Bell’s Palsy. The earlier the better.”
Bell’s Palsy is generally treatable via our bespoke treatments here at Best Medical Acupuncture Clinic. What’s important to remember is that it takes time. There is no “quick and immediate” solution to this – no instantly gratifying single session that removes any and all traces of facial droop.
But even as I reminded myself this, the results after one session so far were staggering.
Our patient came back for her second session and before she even went in for her treatment, I could already see the difference between last time and right then and there. While still visibly asymmetrical, the facial droop on her affected side was noticeably reduced. Her cheekbones regained a bit of definition, and the eye was left uncovered – showing that she had regained a bit of her control over her right eyelid.
There was one more change, one that was even more drastic than everything else so far.
It was the light of hope present in her eyes that wasn’t there before.
If you’re experiencing facial weakness or suspect Bell’s Palsy, don’t wait. Early treatment is key.
Visit us at:
Best Medical Acupuncture Clinic
📍 140 NJ-17 N, Suite 206, Paramus, NJ 07652
📞 (201) 565-1778
🌐 bestmedacu.com
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