Current situation and evaluation of clinical studies on acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of peripheral facial paralysis at selected stages

This article begins by looking at the various causes, signs and symptoms of peripheral facial paralysis (PFP), followed by its typical Western medical treatment. The authors review extant research on the effectiveness of acumoxa treatment of PFP, and conclude that research thus far is of insufficient quality. The clinical characteristics of the different stages of PFP are described, together with different acumoxa treatments for each stage. Research on treating according to the location of the injured nerves is explored, as well as the current methods used to assess therapeutic effects. The authors conclude that evidence for the effectiveness of acumoxa therapy in PFP is still lacking, and that they are therefore planning a large multi‑centre RCT to study this. (06/10)