[Physical therapy in peripheral facial paresis]

Peripheral facial paresis is a serious clinical and social problem. The effect of physical therapy in 44 patients aged 13-80 was studied. Idiopathic peripheral facial paresis was the cause of mimic muscles dysfunction in 75% of our patients. Medical treatment was conducted according to the established program, consisting in applying combined physical, thermal, electrotherapeutic procedures, exercises and massage. All the patients were examined before physical therapy and after I and II series of procedures, based on Pietruski's evolution table of paresis scored in point and percent scale. Patients between age 13-44 demonstrated 47-50% mimic facial muscles efficiency before the treatment, after I series of procedure it amounted to 80-90% and after the II series to 90-100%, so all the symptoms of paresis disappeared. Similar values were scored by patients aged 45-64 years. Minimal percentage of improvement of mimic facial muscles (57%) was noticed in patients aged 65-80 years The increase of the score was evaluated in the studied group after two stages of treatment. It seems to be best in the younger patients. In the examined group the best improvement evaluated as regression of the symptoms was found in patients with idiopathic peripheral facial paresis. The process of improvement was very slow and not full among patients who additionally suffered from co-existing diseases. Patients with diabetes improved by 57%, with arterial hypertension by 53%, the patients with obesity only by 43% after two cycles of treatment.