Yutong Jin, Yuxuan Zhang, Lihua Xuan
In this propensity score-matched retrospective study, warm acupuncture combined with precise meridian sinew needling was associated with better short-term clinical, functional, and facial thermal-symmetry outcomes than conventional acupuncture. Infrared thermography quantified surface-temperature asymmetry but did not directly measure blood flow. Prospective multicentre studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.
BACKGROUND: Refractory peripheral facial paralysis (RPFP) affects 15%-20% of patients with facial palsy, leading to poor recovery and reduced quality of life. Current treatments yield limited efficacy, and objective evidence for acupuncture-based therapies remains scarce.
METHODS: We addressed this gap by conducting a propensity score-matched retrospective study in 166 RPFP patients (H-B grade ≥ III, duration ≥ 3 months). Patients were divided into an observation group (warm acupuncture plus precise meridian sinew needling, n = 83) and a control group (conventional acupuncture, n = 83). Outcomes included clinical efficacy, TCM syndrome scores, facial nerve function (H-B grade, Portmann score), facial disability index (FDI), safety, and infrared thermal imaging parameters (bilateral ΔT, ROI ΔT, LBP histogram distance).
RESULTS: The observation group showed significantly higher cure rate (59.04% vs. 43.37%, P = 0.044) and total effective rate (93.98% vs. 80.72%, P = 0.010). After treatment, TCM syndrome scores, H-B grade, bilateral ΔT (0.26 ± 0.05 vs. 0.32 ± 0.08°C), ROI ΔT (0.28 ± 0.07 vs. 0.35 ± 0.08°C), and LBP distance (0.39 ± 0.09 vs. 0.48 ± 0.10) were all significantly lower in the observation group (all P < 0.001); Portmann score and FDI subscales were significantly higher (all P < 0.001). The observed adverse-event proportions did not differ statistically; this finding does not establish safety equivalence.
CONCLUSION: In this propensity score-matched retrospective study, warm acupuncture combined with precise meridian sinew needling was associated with better short-term clinical, functional, and facial thermal-symmetry outcomes than conventional acupuncture. Infrared thermography quantified surface-temperature asymmetry but did not directly measure blood flow. Prospective multicentre studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.