Weird stuff

[arkansasfarmgirl]

I am 4 weeks out from my translab and facial nerve graft.  I'm really amazed at how well my healing is coming along so far, as my lips are almost normal and my eye is way better already.  Here's my Q:  I noticed in the last few days that when I rub my left cheek, the corner of my mouth will pull up and stay up for a minute...and when I rub my forehead, my eyebrow will do the same thing.  Is this good or bad?

Vonda 

[jazzfunkanne]

Thats amazing your face graft is beginning to work already, i think that is a good sign, i found this happend to me as my face was  starting to recover  the muscles are just  not strong enought yet to stay up for longer, have you been told to exercise your face?

[lori67]

It sounds like it's pretty good, since those are movements that you want to get back.

There's a technique we used to use in PT to get muscles to work called Neuromuscular Facilitation that works along those lines.  It's like tapping a person on the shoulder to get them to move - you stimulate the muscle/nerve to get it to work by lightly tapping on it - like a wake up call.  But I would definitely mention it to your PT if you have one so you don't overstimulate the wrong muscles and wind up with synkinesis.

Four weeks is quick healing!  You must be doing something right!   

Lori