Facial Nerve Rehab

What is facial nerve rehabilitation?

Facial expression is one of the most important skills humans possess. The face shows expressions and facial muscles provide the ability to smile, pucker, blink and chew.

Neuromuscular Facial Retraining

Neuromuscular Facial Retraining is a specific program designed to retrain facial muscles for movement and expression after the facial nerve has been paralyzed or damaged.

Conditions that can cause facial paralysis

Bell's Palsy and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome

Facial, temporal bone or head traumas

Acoustic neuromas

Facial schwannomas

Paratoid tumors

Lyme Disease

Synkinesis

Skull based tumors and other tumors affecting facial movements

Vascular damage

Infections

Cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)

Congenital abnormalities

Hyperkinesis Hemifacial Spasm

Goals of neuromuscular facial retraining

Normalize movement of facial muscles

Increase symmetrical movement patterns of the face

Increase volitional movements of the face

Inhibit undesired movements and synkinesis

Normalize muscular tone

What is involved in facial retraining therapy?

Individualized specific functional facial exercises

Isolated movements to decrease synkinesis and abnormal movement patterns

Supervised modalities of heat/cold, eye care and vibration, traction stretches and massage

Visual feedback with a mirror

Patient education

Dual Channel Surface Electromyography training using sensory, visual and auditory feedback to teach the brain to make new neurological connections for facial movements when the old ones have been damaged.

Frequency

Patients are typically seen once weekly on an outpatient basis and are provided a specific individualized home exercise program.

Outcomes of Facial Retraining

Outcomes at the Atlanta Ear Clinic and other centers utilizing this treatment intervention shows measurable recovery in all treatment categories, even in cases of long-standing paralysis.

Facial retraining requires time, effort and concentration by the patient, but the results are worth the efforts! On many of the patients treated, the results are so outstanding it is hard to identify which side of the face has been paralyzed.

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