PHYSICAL THERAPY METHODS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL FACIAL PARALYSIS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: To describe the methods and resources used in physical therapy for peripheral facial paralysis (PFP), and investigate how PFP has been considered in the rehabilitation process. Material and Methods: A literature review was performed by searching scientific publications indexed in the databases Scielo, PubMed and Science Direct, which allow the use of common terminology in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. The keywords used in the search in Portuguese were: Paralisia Facial Periférica, Reabilitação e Fisioterapia; in French: Paralysies faciales, physiothérapie and réhabilitation; In Spanish: Parálisis Facial, Rehabilitación, Fisioterapia; and in English: Facial Paralysis, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. The searches were carried out from March to May 2012. Results: A total of 10 papers were selected, including case studies, longitudinal and experimental studies related to therapeutic procedures contributing to the PFP treatment. The main procedures were: manual resources; kinesiotherapy; electrothermal, mechanical and cognitive therapy; and functional training. All studies included in this review pointed out that the involvement of the PFP exceeds the limit of physical illness leading to psychological and social issues. Conclusion: There are various approaches to treat PFP which include different features and techniques, such as electrical stimulation, massage, facial exercises and neuromuscular reeducation exclusively, or combinations of these, and also variation of parameters in the same technique. The methods and physical therapy resources most commonly used for PFP rehabilitation are massage, Kabat method and functional electrical stimulation (FES). DESCRIPTORS Facial Paralysis. Physical Therapy Modalities. Rehabilitation.