Management of Bell’s Palsy with Phototherapy

Abstract

Bell’s palsy (BP) is a common condition; its incidence rate has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The standard treatment for facial nerve palsy includes corticosteroids alone or in combination with antiviral agents. However, the treatment is contraindicated in some patients, including hypertensive or diabetic patients. Also, the medication combination may result in inadequate recovery when complementary and alternative approaches are indicated. This chapter reviewed the literature on managing BP with different types of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapies. Fourteen papers were included. The results show that despite the different kinds of photo energy used, varying laser parameters, and the heterogeneity of patients, the outcome of PBM was similar among studies. Of interest is that acute and subacute BP respond more favorably to PBM than chronic cases. Hence, it is suggested to apply PMB as a complementary treatment in the early stage of the disease to enhance the recovery rate of BP patients. However, the risk of bias in these studies was relatively high. Therefore, further randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of PBM in treating BP.