The aim of this study is to compare the effects of prednisolone and staging acupuncture in the recovery of the affected facial nerve, and to verify that whether in combination with staging acupuncture is more effective than prednisolone alone for Bell's palsy in a large number of patients.

Patients will be recruited between Sep, 2010, and Dec, 2014. Baseline assessments before the start of treatment include neurological examination, grading of facial function, measurement of ipsilateral pain, documentation of concurrent medication.

These patients are assigned to receive one of the following treatment groups, i.e. 1)the hormone group: oral hormone drugs, do not accept acupuncture treatment; 2)acupuncture group: using acupuncture therapy, do not accept oral hormone therapy; 3)hormone-acupuncture combined treatment group: receive oral hormone and acupuncture therapy at the same time; 4)other treatment group: other treatment in addition to the above 3 groups of treatment abroad. The secondary factor grouping (subgroup): According to the different time of treatment after the onset of disease, the acupuncture group and the hormone- acupuncture combined treatment group can be divided into Type Ⅰ subgroup (patients receive acupuncture within 10 days of the onset of disease) and Type II subgroups (patients receive acupuncture after 10 days of the onset of disease). The primary outcome is the time to complete recovery of facial function, assessed by Sunnybrook system and House-Brackmann scale. The secondary outcomes include the incidence of ipsilateral pain in the early stage of palsy (and the duration of this pain), the proportion of patients with severe pain, the occurrence of synkinesis, facial spasm or contracture, and the severity of residual facial symptoms during the study period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• involvement of unilateralfacial nerve paralysis only
• aged between 18 and 75 years old
• period of onset of facial paralysis within 72h

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy
• breastfeeding
• being a woman of child bearing age who is unwilling to use contraceptives during the medication period
• other neurological diseases
• diabetes
• badly controlled hypertension
• current or a history of serious heart disease
• history of renal or hepatic disease
• gastric or duodenal ulcer
• history of glaucoma
• acute otitis or history of ipsilateral chronic otitis
• history of tuberculosis, history of immunodeficiency syndromes
• recent head injury, psychiatric disease, or any other condition that is at risk of being influenced by the study medication or that might have affected completion of the study.