Understanding and Managing Bell's Palsy: Treatment Options & Research

Bell's Palsy, a nervous disorder effecting the facial muscles, has no official cure, but doctors are not helpless in treating Bell's Palsy. Research groups are looking for answers for this and other nervous disorders while doctors rely on treatment that can drastically reduce the symptoms of the disorder.

Research

• Current research regarding Bell's Palsy focuses on learning more about the way that the nervous system works and finding an underlying cause for the disorder.

Organizations

• There are two organizations leading the majority of Bell's Palsy research: The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).

Prognosis

• According to the NINDS, the majority of patients will see improvement within about two weeks and will recover within three to six months, but occasional permanent paralysis does occur in a small percentage of patients.

Current Treatment

• Current treatment usually begins by treating the condition which the doctors believe have caused the paralysis. This may include an antiviral drug or corticosteroid.

Surgery

• Surgery is the closest treatment to a cure currently available for Bell's Palsy. The surgery involves grafting another nerve to the facial nerve, and although it does not solve the problem of permanent paralysis it creates a marked improvement in most patients.