Objective To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture combined with herbal-cake(Qianzhengsan)partitioned moxibustion at Xiaguan(ST7)

Qianzheng(EX-HN)

etc.for patients with peripheral facial paralysis.Methods Seventy-eight patients with peripheral facial paralysis(within 7 days)were divided into acupuncture plus moxibustion(Acu-Moxi)group and routine acupuncture(control)group(n=38 cases in each).Patients of the control group were treated by routine acupuncture of unilateral or bilateral Yangbai(GB14)

Sibai(ST2)

Taiyang(EX-HN5)

Quanliao(SI18)

Jiache(ST6)

Dicang(ST4)

Yifeng(SJ17)

Hegu(LI4)and Zusanli(ST36)

and those of the Acu-Moxi group were treated by routine acupuncture of the above-mentioned acupoints in combination with herbal-cake-partitioned moxibustion at ST7 and EX-HN.The treatment was conducted once daily for 20 days.The House-Brackmann facial grading scale(H-B FGS)was used to assess the degree of facial nerve palsy(Ⅰ-Ⅵ grades)

the modified Portmann scale used to assess the severity of facial paralysis including the situations of movement of eyebrow raising

eye closing

cheek bulging

pouting

teeth showing and nostril widening

and symmetry during resting state(20 points in total)and the facial disability index(FDI)used to rate the physical function(FDIP)and social life function(FDIS)(5-30 points in total).The clinical efficacy of each group was evaluated after the treatment.Results After the treatment

the number of patients with H-B FGS grade IV and V and FDIS scores were significantly decreased

and patients' number of H-B FGS grade I and II

Portmann scale and FDIP scores were significantly increased in both control and Acu-Moxi groups in comparison with their own pre-treatment(P<0.01)

suggesting an improvement of facial nerve function after treatment.The patients' number of H-B FGS grade I and II and Portmann scores of the Acu-Moxi group was significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05

P<0.01)

but no significant differences were found between two groups in the FDIP and FDIS scores(P>0.05).Of the two 38 patients in the control group and Acu-Moxi group

8(21.05%)and 15(39.47%)were cured

7(18.42%)and 8(21.05%)experienced marked improvement

14(36.84%)and 13(34.21%)were effective

and9(23.68%)and 2(5.26%)invalid

with the effective rates being 76.32%and 94.74%

respectively.The therapeutic effect of the Acu-Moxi group was evidently superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion The acupuncture combined with Qianzhengsan-partitioned moxibustion is considerably superior to routine acupuncture in improving clinical symptoms and signs of peripheral facial paralysis patients.