Physical Therapy for Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s palsy is a sudden paralysis of the facial muscles from damage to the cranial nerve. The exact cause of this is not yet fully known however, it can result from different conditions.
Who Can Bell’s Palsy Affect?
It can occur in people who have diabetes, pregnancy, a viral infection, or other neurological disorder that causes paralysis or certain inflammatory diseases.
When a person gets Bell’s palsy, the facial paralysis can go away in a few months but it can last longer. It’s important to check with your doctor first to get the right diagnosis for your treatment and let it heal correctly.
What Can Happen?
It can be problematic with your daily life when you do get Bell’s Palsy. One of the issues is the drooping of the face, leading to discomfort and impediment in speech. Not only that, the mouth can also drool since it’s drooping.
The eye can also dry out because your eyelid may not close properly. Your doctor will then prescribe some eye drops for you to use to keep it lubricated.
These are some of the problems that can get in the way of a person’s social/work life.
How can Physical Therapy help?
Your physical therapist of Physical Therapy New York, NY will work on the affected muscles manually and stimulate the facial muscle using a specific machine as needed. He or she will help you with certain facial movement exercises in order to correct and strengthen your facial muscles.
You can also do the exercises prescribed by your physical therapist at home as well. Combination with physical therapy and exercise will lead to a quick recovery and less suffering than going through with it blindly for months at a time.
