Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Cervical acupotomy for Peripheral Facial Paralysis and Postauricular Pain.
Methods : We investigated 30 patients with Peripheral facial paralysis who had visited at Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, of Korean Medicine Hospital Dong-Eui University from April 1st, 2013 to April 30th, 2014. Subjects were divided into two groups. Group A(experimental group) was treated by Korean-Western combination treatment with acupuncture and pharmacopuncture on facial&trigemial nerve branch and Cervical acupotomy and group B(control group) was treated by Korean-Western combination treatment with acupuncture and pharmacopuncture on routine facial paralysis acupoint without acupotomy. The Cervical acupotomy was done once every five days for a total of 3 times. We evaluate the change of each group by using Yanagihara''s unweighed grading system and VAS(Visual Analog Scale) score of Postauricular pain.
Results : Yanagihara''s score in group A was significantly improved during each period from the first visit to four weeks later. However, Yanagihara''s score in group B was significantly improved except during two weeks from the first visit. The improvement of Yanagihara''s score in group A is higher than group B during every period. And significant differences were shown after two weeks from the first visit, two weeks from one week and three weeks frome the first visit between the two groups. VAS score in Both group A and group B was significantly improved during each period from the first visit to three weeks later except two weeks from one week. The improvement of VAS score in group A is higher than group B during every period. And significant differences were shown after three weeks from the first visit and three weeks from two weeks between the two groups.
Conclusions : These results suggest that Cervical acupotomy may be effective for Peripheral facial paralysis and Postauricular pain.
Key Words : Peripheral facial paralysis, Postauricular pain, Acupotomy