Physiotherapy outweighed multiple therapy methods of bell's palsy: a review study

Abstract

Although its etiology is not known, Bell’s palsy is commonly based on trauma, infection, nervous damage due to surgery, genetic predisposition, autoimmune disease, temporal bone fracture, cerebellar arachnoid cyst and viral infection associated with vascular ischemia and inflammation. Viral infection due to herpes zoster and herpes simplex is the most common known cause of Bell’s palsy. It is seen in about 20-35 out of 100.000 people each year. Its incidence is low in children under the age of 14 and it is more frequent within the range of 15-45 years. It is also known to occur equally in men and women. In the third trimester of pregnancy and postpartum in the first week, its frequency increases 3-fold. Unilateral paralysis, lagophthalmos, keratitis, droop of eyelid and edge of mouth, mouth and eye dryness, conjunctivitis and decreasing sensation and 2/3 taste of luxury in front of lingua are its common symptoms. 3 days from the onset of palsy, patients begin to use corticosteroid and antiviral drugs. 71% of patients had improvement after recovery but 29% of patients were shown to have hemifacial weakness and residual sequela throughout life. Synkinesis is the most common sequela of Bell’s palsy. The effects of physiotherapy methods and their different combinations with other methods on prognosis were discussed in the treatment of Bell’s palsy.