NCT06732622

Laser Acupuncture for Idiopathic Bell's Palsy

Laser Acupuncture for Idiopathic Bell's Palsy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 360 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Beijing Tongren Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Bell's palsy is characterized by acute, unilateral onset that compromises function and esthetics, exerting a considerable impact on the social, professional, and psychological aspects of the lives of affected individuals. The objective of this study was to determine whether laser acupuncture therapy could relieve symptoms in patients with Bell's palsy.

Detailed description

This study was randomized controlled trial including 360 patients that undergoing Bell's palsy. All the patients received oral Prednisolone. Patients were assigned to the laser acupuncture (LA) group, Sham LA group and control group, with 120 patients in each group. LA group and Sham LA group were received 4 weeks of Laser treatment (3 times per week). Clinical outcome measure comprised the House-Brackmann grading system, Sunnybrook facial grading scale (SBFG), Facial Disability Index (FDI) and Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE Scale) All the measurements were collected at the baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24.

Conditions

• Bell Palsy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Laser acupuncture	Patients in the laser acupuncture group (LA group) received 12 sessions of laser acupuncture (3 times per week). Laser aucpuncture used a class IV Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser (Mphi laser, ASA Sri, Vicenza, Italy). Laser acupuncture used have wavelength of 808 nm and 905nm, 1.2 W power (808nm is 1 W, 905 nm is 200 mW), continuous mode emission (808 nm) and pulsed mode emission (905 nm), 500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, administered for 3 times per week in the first 2 weeks, and 1500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, in the last 2 weeks, 12 times total treatment. Acupoints: we chose 5 acupoints on the affected side. This includes ST2 (Si Bai), ST4 (Di Cang), ST6 (Jia Che), GB14 (Yang Bai), GB20 (Feng chi). We choose 6 acupoints bilaterally, including LI4 (He Gu), LI11 (Qu Chi), ST36 (Zu San Li), SP6 (San Yin Jiao), KI3 (Tai Xi), and LR3 (Tai Chong).
DRUG	Steroids	Prednisolone as 5 mg tablets (Tianjin Lisheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China) were given as a single dose of 30 mg daily for the first 3 days; 15 mg daily for the following 3 days; 10 mg daily for the after 3 days; 5 mg daily for the final 3 days, with a total treatment time of 12 days.
DEVICE	Sham laser acupuncture	Patients in the laser acupuncture group (Sham group) received 12 sessions of laser acupuncture (3 times per week). Laser aucpuncture used a class IV Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser (Mphi laser, ASA Sri, Vicenza, Italy). The Sham LA group received the same laser device and the same acupoints. The device showed the same red light but did not emit a laser, administered for 3 times per week in the 4 weeks. Acupoints: we chose 5 acupoints on the affected side. This includes ST2 (Si Bai), ST4 (Di Cang), ST6 (Jia Che), GB14 (Yang Bai), GB20 (Feng chi). We choose 6 acupoints bilaterally, including LI4 (He Gu), LI11 (Qu Chi), ST36 (Zu San Li), SP6 (San Yin Jiao), KI3 (Tai Xi), and LR3 (Tai Chong).

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-12-01
• Primary completion: 2026-05-01
• Completion: 2026-06-01
• First posted: 2024-12-13
• Last updated: 2024-12-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China