Chiropractic care of a 47-year-old woman with chronic Bell's palsy: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case study is to describe the effect of chiropractic care on a patient with chronic Bell's palsy. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 47-year-old woman with medically diagnosed Bell's palsy presented for chiropractic care. She had experienced right sinus pressure and congestion, lack of facial tone on the right, and intermittent tingling of the right side of her face. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: The patient received high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic manipulation (adjustments) to the cervical and thoracic spine, interferential muscle stimulation, and hydroculation on the trapezius muscles bilaterally. Reduction in symptoms occurred following the initial visit and continued over the next 9 weeks of care. After the course of a year of chiropractic care, the patient reached 90% improvement.
CONCLUSIONS: For this patient, chiropractic care reduced Bell's palsy symptoms.