6 steps to teach you how to massage facial nerve paralysis

Facial nerve paralysis is a common disease in daily life, commonly known as facial palsy, and Chinese medicine calls it stroke. In addition to necessary acupuncture and drug treatment, regular massage of facial acupoints is also very helpful for recovery. Let’s learn about the 6-step self-massage technique for facial nerve paralysis!

1. Frontal belly of occipitofrontalis

The patient or another person uses the thumb or index finger to gently massage along the frontal belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle from the eyebrow arch to the top of the head and from the top of the head to the eyebrow arch. When massaging, you can gently push and pull from the brow arch to the hairline on the top of the head, or rub slowly.

2. Orbicularis oculi muscle

Most patients presented with eye closure dysfunction and tearing. The main reason is that the orbicularis oculi muscle cannot contract effectively, pulling the orbicularis oculi muscle down from above the bulging eyeball and closing it. First, ask the patient to close his eyes, and then use your fingertips to massage along the depression between the upper and lower eyelids or the lower orbital margin. Gently pushing and pulling on the upper and lower eyelids from the inside to the outside and then from the outside to the inside will help restore the function of the upper eyelid. This method also helps with closing your eyes. Generally, peripheral facial paralysis is mainly manifested as upper eyelid closure disorder. Severe pathological facial paralysis may cause difficulty in lifting the lower eyelid. Some patients experience mild ectropion of the lower eyelid, which is mainly caused by relaxation of the lower eyelid after facial paralysis. The above-mentioned finger push and pull method can also be used for treatment. Ask the patient to close his eyes, and use the pads of his thumb and index finger to gently push and pull along the skin of the lower eyelid from inside to outside and then from outside to inside. For some patients, after most of the facial expression muscles have recovered, there is still incomplete closure of the upper eyelid. This method of massage treatment can avoid or alleviate eyelid contracture after recovery.

3. Ligator labii superioris

The levator labii superioris muscle, also known as the quadratus labii superioris muscle, originates from the maxillary part above the infraorbital foramen and the infraorbital margin, deep to the orbicularis oculi muscle. Some of the muscle fibers of the levator labii superioris muscle go down into the skin on the outside of the upper lip, while other fibers interweave with the fibers of the orbicularis oris muscle. Therefore, when massaging, you should massage the upper orbicularis oris muscle on the affected side toward the nose wing and zygomatic region, and then massage along the nasolabial groove or corner of the mouth toward the zygomatic region. Use the thumb or index and middle fingers to massage the cheekbones or push and pull along the muscle direction for massage treatment.

4. Zygomatic muscle

The zygomatic muscles are divided into the zygomatic major and minor muscles, which originate from the zygomatic bone and end at the corner of the mouth. Mainly mentioned is pulling the corners of the mouth outwards, and you can push, pull or massage along the muscle fibers from the corners of the mouth toward the cheekbones.

5. Orbicularis oris

Upper orbicularis oris muscle: Use the pads of your index finger and thumb to massage along the corner of the mouth on the affected side toward the philtrum groove, and then along the philtrum groove toward the corner of the mouth. Lower orbicularis oris muscle: Use the index finger and thumb to massage along the affected corner of the mouth toward the center, and then toward the affected corner of the mouth.

6. Quadratus labii inferioris

Use the tip of your thumb to gently massage, push and pull from the lower corner of the mouth inward and downward, which will help restore the function of the quadratus lip inferioris, mentalis, and deltoid muscles.