Cold and facial muscle recovery

[Tod]

Okay, I'm right at 10 months out. I suffered left-side facial paralysis for a couple of months post-surgery and then experienced a fairly rapid progress to something like 85% of apparent normal. I have stayed there since, and few untrained or inexperienced individuals will notice any deficits unless I am really tired. Or if I try to act really surprised.

However,in the last couple of months I have noticed my left side facial muscles more and more. I am more aware of the effort of talking or moving my face. I feel it more, especially in the cold. In fact, out running tonight in 22F, I could certainly feel the cheek muscles on eyelid struggling with the cold. I'm not really sure how else to describe this.Also, I should note that on my last camping trip with scouts a couple weeks ago, my cheek was having difficulty getting out of the way while eating and there has been few more instances.

I am interested in knowing from others how familiar this sounds to your recovery. Of course, part of my problem is the continued difficulty in talking which really compounds the effort of making my face work and I have had to do a lot of talking lately.

So, any thoughts? Oh, and I am not complaining, life is pretty sweet right now.

-Tod

[Cheryl R]

Tod, you are probably feeling some tightness in the muscles.     The cold does make that worse also.      I have problems with this.     Try putting some kind of warm pack on it and see if that makes a difference.      Also the stand by exercise of putting your thumb inside your mouth and with the fingers pull across one area that is tight several times and then go to the next area and do the same.     This is a Jackie exercise and helps loosen a tight area.       She says do it 3 times a day.                  Can try and see if this makes a difference to you.                           Cheryl R

[Tod]

Thanks Cheryl, that makes sense...stretching would be a good idea.

-Tod

[free2be]

Cheryl,

Is there some place to get more information on that stretch or massage move? I am having trouble with the trigeminal nerve since the CK (and yes, cold is a major ouchy though thankfully I don't have motor problems and I bought a little moon shaped microwavable heat pack that I put in my hat and scarf before going outside. It helps).

Connie

[Cheryl R]

I was told this by Jackie as did a half day visit a year after my first AN.           There is a website that is www.bellspalsy.ws        There is a section on exercises.                    This site was going to be down due to the death of the person who ran it and then heard it was back but I thought under a different name.     I just checked and it is there as I wrote above.   
                                               Cheryl R

[free2be]

Thanks, Cheryl. I got it.

[Debbi]

I use the same facial stretches Cheryl wrote about (I am also a Jackie Diels alumni).  You need to be diligent about doing them several times a day, but they can easily be done while watching tv or other passive activity.  Moist heat is also great.  Another thing that helped me was to take the ball of my cheek (under eye, over cheek bone) and gently squeeze it between my thumb and fingers of the opposing hand.  You can try some gentle twisting motion, too.  The only time I have tightness now is when I am tired, stressed or really cold.

Happy stretching!
Debbi