ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Facial Issues => Topic started by: Brewers7 on April 19, 2012, 09:24:32 am

Title: point stimulator
Post by: Brewers7 on April 19, 2012, 09:24:32 am
Has anyone tried a point stimulator for facial paralysis?  I am a little over 3 years post op and I have just started.  I trained with a therapist for the past year who was trained by Jackie Diel.  She recently released me.  I know that they discourage the use of electro stimulation because they believe that it will also stimulate synkenesis.  I was a little reluctant to try it for this reason, but since it seems to stimulate one isolated area at a time, I thought that I would give it a try.
Title: Re: point stimulator
Post by: GBWI Lisa on April 20, 2012, 04:11:17 pm
Sorry, I was told by facial re-animation doctor not to try that at all. I saw Jackie Diels in Feb and will again at the end of May.  Haven't you had decent results from therapy? Doctors wouldn't even give me Jackie's contact info until 10+ months post-op, always stressing not to expect things, ie. smile, to be like it originally was. Stick with it!
GBLisa
Title: Re: point stimulator
Post by: Brewers7 on April 22, 2012, 10:18:23 am
I went through a year of therapy with very minimal results  (sorry).  Others seem to have done well.  I am now over 3 years post op, so I don't feel like I have anything to lose to this point.
Title: Re: point stimulator
Post by: spgreenfield on April 22, 2012, 12:07:29 pm
Even though I only experienced momentary facial weakness, my face is still not at 100% - I am currently seeing a very reputable certified acupuncturist locally and she's actually putting electric stim on 2 of the needles.  It's not at all like what you'd get in the chiropractor's office of hard stim but very gentle.  I have made great progress in regaining my face movement and some sensation to touch.  The times of feeling I have a wad of cotton shoved in the corner of my mouth are decreasing dramatically.

Pam