Bell's Palsy With a Duration of Greater Than 8 Weeks Treated With Multiwave Locked System Intervention

Bell's Palsy With a Duration of Greater Than 8 Weeks Treated With Multiwave Locked System Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether photobiomodulation therapy by class IV Multiwave Locked System laser treatment could relieve symptoms in patients with Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks.

METHODS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled trial from May 2021 to April 2023. Patients were eligible who had Bell's palsy with a duration of greater than 8 weeks on out-patient department of otorhinolaryngology in Beijing Tongren Hospital. The photobiomodulation group received class IV Multiwave Locked System laser treatment for 3 times per weeks, a total of 6 months. The control group received the same Multiwave Locked System treatment procedure except the laser parameter. The primary outcome measures comprised House-Brackmann facial nerve grading system, Sunnybrook facial grading system, Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale. Secondary outcome measures comprised Electroneurography, Electromyography, and the Blink Reflex.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients were eligible for House-Brackmann grading system (HB) greater than or equal to grade 3.
• Patients were adults over 18 years of age and under 60 years of age;
• Patients were not received medicine before 2 weeks of trial, such as prednisolone.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients were excluded HB grade 6, or greater than 90% denervation on electroneuronography, or no voluntary electromyography activity, or no latency of early (R1) and late (R2, R2') components in Blink Reflex patients.
• Patients were excluded serious mental illness or social problems, and neurological disorders. And systemic disease, such as severe diabetes, malignant tumors, and other serious consumptive diseases, planning for pregnancy, in pregnancy or lactation.