Analysis of Clinical Research Trends for Acupotomy Treatment of Peripheral Facial Palsy

The purpose of this review was to investigate acupotomy treatment for peripheral facial palsy. By reviewing recent clinical trends, this may contribute to standardizing acupotomy treatment methods. There were 7 randomized controlled trials and 6 case series using acupotomy treatment for peripheral facial palsy published between January 01, 2014 and April 05, 2021, which were retrieved from 9 online databases. The number and characteristics of participants, main treatment sites, combination treatments, size of acupotomy needle, frequency and total period of treatment, evaluation indices, efficacy, and adverse events were analyzed. “Tender point or induration,” “infraorbical foramen,” and “buccal mucosa” were the most used treatment sites. The sizes of acupotomy needles varied from 20 mm to 80 mm in length, and 0.35 mm to 1.0 mm in diameter. One treatment cycle was performed every 3 to 5-7 days, and the number of treatments per treatment session ranged from 3 to 5-9 cycles. The results were evaluated using 1 to 4 evaluation indices and 9 different evaluation indices were used overall. The efficacy rate was the most used index, followed by the House-Brackmann grade, and electrocardiography. The “Risk of Bias 2,” categorized most studies as having “some concerns.” There were few adverse events reported.