Treatment of Peripheral Facial Paralysis After COVID-19 Infection With Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapies: A Case Report

Peripheral facial paralysis, characterized by facial expression and motor dysfunction of facial muscle groups, stems from lower motor neuron lesions of the facial nerve and can arise from various medical conditions such as viral infections, trauma, tumors, and autoimmune disorders, among others. It affects individuals across all age groups, from pediatric to geriatric populations. While many cases have no discernible cause, some are associated with infectious or non-infectious factors. Typically, most patients experience gradual recovery within one to three months following appropriate treatment in the acute phase, which may include inflammation control, antiviral therapy, reduction of neuroedema, and nerve nourishment. Although relatively rare, there have been few reports of peripheral facial paralysis following COVID-19 infection. Here, we present a case possibly linked to COVID-19: a 23 -year -old male who reported numbness, facial asymmetry, and ear pain on the right side of his face persisting for five days after contracting COVID-19. Upon physical examination, peripheral facial paralysis of House-Brackmann grade IV was observed, prompting the initiation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment. On the 10th day of treatment, acupoint catgut embedding was introduced as an adjunct therapy. Following four weeks of combined treatment, the patient's peripheral facial paralysis improved to grade I, and treatment was subsequently discontinued. TCM therapies, including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, plum blossom needle, moxibustion, acupoint catgut embedding, Chinese herbal medicine, etc., are safe and promising complementary treatments for the acute management of peripheral facial paralysis. However, additional large-scale, randomized controlled studies are needed to determine whether these interventions have a significant additive or synergistic effect on achieving full recovery in patients with peripheral facial paralysis.