Electrical muscle stimulation for Bell's palsy (sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face)

Efficacy of adding selective electrical muscle stimulation to usual physical therapy for Bell's palsy

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 2

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN14974687

Enrollment

Registered

2023-02-27

Start date

2017-02-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2024-07-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bell's palsy Nervous System Diseases

Interventions

Participants are assigned to groups using sequential allocation. The control condition will receive usual physical therapy, consisting of neuromuscular reeducation and massage therapy. The experimenta

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Diagnosis of acute, incomplete Bell's palsy, up to one month from onset of paralysis 2. Aged 18 years and above

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Other causes of facial paralysis. 2. Hypertension 3. Diabetes 4. Prior facial physical therapy or muscle stimulation 5. Complete facial paralysis

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Static, dynamic, and synkinesis facial function were measured using the eFACE scale at baseline, completion of intervention, and 6 months after completion of intervention.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Facial function measured on the House Brackmann scale at baseline, completion of intervention, and 6 months after completion of intervention.	—

Countries

Argentina

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026