Combined treatments, particularly steroid plus antiviral plus Kabat treatment, show better facial function recovery in acute Bell's palsy patients than single therapy.
The researchers performed a comprehensive analysis on the effectiveness and safety of all pharmacological and physical treatments for acute Bell's palsy patients over a short-term period. They carried out online searches for randomized controlled trials, which included patients with Bell's palsy and compared two or more treatment regimes. These searches were conducted on various electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The researchers then used Bayesian network meta-analysis to study outcomes such as the primary outcome of the House-Brackmann scale and secondary outcomes like sequelae and adverse events. Their analysis included subgroup analyses of steroids and antivirals.
The researchers discovered that combined therapies such as acupuncture plus electrical stimulation, steroid plus antiviral plus Kabat treatment, and steroid plus antiviral plus electrical stimulation showed the highest propensity for facial recovery. The study concluded that steroid plus antiviral plus Kabat treatment was associated with a better facial function recovery outcome than single therapy, while acupuncture plus electrical stimulation could be a good alternative for people with systemic disease or allergies. The study also found that treatments using stereoids plus antivirals plus electrical stimulation had the lowest incidence of sequelae but more likely to result in mild adverse events.
