Bell’s Palsy – an osteopathic approach
Bell’s Palsy is a temporary paralysis of the Facial nerve – the seventh cranial nerve. The facial nerve innervates the facial muscles – that are used for eyelid and brow movement, lacrimal secretions, facial expression, smiling etc. It can also affect the slip of the nerve which aids acuity and may cause tinnitus and far less commonly part of the taste of the tongue can be diminished.
Over my 30+ years of practice I have treated a few clients with this very successfully.
The most important thing is to get PROMPT treatment – within 36-72 hours max for the best outcome. Steroids may be indicated to reduce the inflammation around the nerve as soon as possible and so prevent further complications although I have some excellent natural supplements that work just as well.
Why does this happen? The facial nerve is made of a number of small, delicate branches which are close to the skin – so easy to get traumatized, and exit through the skull via the Stylomastoid Foramen, just behind and deep to the ear and then the five main branches spread out by the parotid gland in front of the ear.
You can see from the two photos above how much the face has changed due to the palsy – especially the ability to raise the cheeks in a smile.
This is what my client said afterwards:
Before I got to Gayle I had been to the doctors and they had diagnosed me with Bells Palsy, this made the right side of my face feel like it was coming around from anaesthetic at the dentist, my eyes where unable to blink at the same time and the right side of my mouth with minimal movement.
I felt really nervous as the doctor said it could take up to three weeks with a course of steroids.
I called Gayle straight away as my brother had the same thing almost 17 years ago and Gayle helped him then. Gayle made me feel at ease explaining what Bells Palsy actually is, unlike the doctors.
Gayle then treated me and I could instantly feel like feeling in my face coming back to life, even just after the areas were released, I had more feeling and movement in my face. It felt much better inside my head. A few hours after it’s much better and almost working completely normally.
It may take a few treatments to unravel all the restrictions for this client as she was very tense elsewhere in her body, which was reducing the drainage from the head and neck. I suspect that the tightness, especially where the nerve emerges through the bony head at the base of the ear was the main cause of the restriction to the facial nerve and that this had been building up for a while.
If you think you have similar symptoms, or need a differential diagnosis from a stroke, parotiditis, another viral infection or general immune suppression – Osteopath Gayle Palmer is trained to do this.
Give her a call or make an appointment – time is of the essence!
Your Health IS my priority! Place your healing in my hands.
Health is not an accident.
© Gayle Palmer D.O. Living Elements Clinic, Sidlesham, Chichester.
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