Bell’s palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results from damage to the nerve that commands the muscles in your face. It typically comes from an injury to the seventh cranial nerve (the “facial nerve”), which can be impacted by stress, whiplash, stroke, or any other form of brain trauma resulting in facial muscle weakness. Once you’ve been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, you might stress over how to get over it and resume your normal activities.
However, with a suitable palsy treatment plan and time, you can recuperate from this short-term condition. If you are struggling with Bell’s palsy, keep reading for beneficial suggestions on how to overcome this condition with physiotherapy.
As described below, there are 2 main kinds of physiotherapy: basic and targeted. General physiotherapy concentrates on enhancing the range of motion and strength throughout the body; custom-made treatment plans target specific conditions and resolve their symptoms directly through strategies such as ultrasound or electrotherapy.
Some common symptoms of Bell’s palsy include:
- Loss of taste sensations
- Lack of tears
- Facial drooping / facial sagging
- Slurred speech
- Involuntary movement of the mouth
- Flaccid paralysis
- Loss of facial muscle movements
- Muscle atrophy
- Loss of control of muscles on the side of the mouth
- Bony canal
- Increased risk of corneal ulcer
General Physiotherapy for Bell’s Palsy: A Facial Disability
General physiotherapy focuses on enhancing movement and strength throughout the body. It can serve to help ease the signs related to Bell’s palsy by building up the muscle tone in your face and improving blood flow to that location. In particular, general physiotherapy can serve to help you deal with discomfort and enhance your ability to eat, speak, and carry out other daily activities such as brushing your teeth.
Your physiotherapist might recommend a variety of methods to take care of your signs, such as:
- Cooling your face – This can help to alleviate pain and swelling.
- Temperature Therapy – Moist cold and heat packs are popular kinds of temperature therapy.
- Stimulation – Electrical microcurrent delivered via a small unit can help to boost strength and ease discomfort.
- Swallowing and chewing movements – These can serve to help you eat much better and address swallowing concerns.
Targeted Physiotherapy for Bell’s Palsy
A targeted physiotherapy treatment approach is designed to address specific conditions and deal with their signs directly through techniques such as ultrasound or electrotherapy. Your physiotherapist might also lead you through non-invasive treatment such as self-massages in circular motions, as this has actually been shown to help individuals with muscle movements in the cheeks at a much faster rate. A collaborative treatment plan for Bell’s palsy might consist of:
- Electrical current therapy – Electrical minor current applied to the surface of the skin can serve to help to alleviate discomfort and muscle spasms. The intensity of the current can be adapted to match your condition.
- Manual therapy – Your therapist may use gentle pressure on the afflicted area, which has been proven to ease the pain and improve taste sensations.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – This treatment uses mild electrical muscle stimulation (with a lower voltage than electrical current treatment) to lower discomfort.
- Ultrasound treatment – This has been demonstrated to improve blood circulation to the face and can reduce discomfort.
Targeted Facial Exercise to Overcome Bell’s Palsy with Physiotherapy
As soon as you’ve been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy and have been proposed physiotherapy, you’ll need to include regular workouts into your daily regimen. Some activities may be uncomfortable and even achy immediately, but these signs and symptoms will decrease as your facial weakness subsides during your healing process.
Generally, the earlier you begin therapy, the more rapidly you’ll improve.
You can expect to see substantial progress within six to twelve weeks, but it can require up to twelve months for your issues to fully diminish. Here are some suggested workouts for getting better from this health condition:
- Swallowing exercises – These can help you eat much better and address swallowing problems.
- Movement exercises – Low-impact therapeutic exercises such as stretching, taking a walk, and light yoga can promote blood circulation to the face and enhance your total health and facial movement.
- Massage therapy – Self-massages can serve to ease pain and reduce tightness in your face.
- Cupping therapy – This treatment option involves putting suction cups on your skin to improve blood flow and alleviate discomfort.
Tips to Assist with Bell’s Palsy by Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is usually safe for pregnant ladies and people of all ages. Also, almost 70% of patients will start to feel better or experience complete recovery within 8 weeks. Nevertheless, there are some safety measures you’ll need to bear in mind as you get better, including:
Stay clear of laborious activities that put too much tension on your jaw. You’ll likely be limited to light exercise initially, but as your signs and symptoms go away, you can increase the strength of your workouts.
Stay away from severe temperatures. Extreme heat or cold can impact blood flow to your face and exacerbate your symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve been identified with Bell’s palsy, you may stress over how to get over it and resume your regular activities. Nevertheless, with suitable treatment and time, you can recuperate from this temporary condition. Once you’ve been identified with Bell’s palsy, you should begin a physiotherapy regimen to help improve facial nerve damage and blood flow to your face and decrease discomfort and stiffness.
To speed up the process, be sure to incorporate neurological rehabilitation like daily workouts into your routine. Furthermore, stay clear of extreme temperatures, look after your teeth and wear a mouthguard, and keep your hands cleansed. With a little effort, you should have the ability to get rid of Bell’s palsy and save yourself from any permanent muscle weakness.
Get back to enjoying your quality of life: give Pure Life Physiotherapy a call today to schedule a visit with our experienced physiotherapist to address your Bell’s Palsy concerns.
