Advanced Biofeedback Center

Facial Droop

Assessment of condition

Overview

If you have been diagnosed with "Facial Nerve Palsy" or "Bell's Palsy," there is a likelihood that you have had some difficulty with controlling the muscles of your face. If you had injury to your facial nerve, or if you had a stroke (CVA [cerebrovascular accident]), then you, too, may have noticed problems with how symmetrical your face appears. Sometimes, people with facial droop attempt to smile, however, the unaffected, "strong" side of the face seems to "overpower" the affected, "weak" side of the face, and you feel frustrated --- and sometimes embarassed --- regarding how you appear to others. Although a "cosmetic" issue in some cases, the psychological and interpersonal issues involved in your appearance may be very important to you, and therefore, you may wish to have your face become more "symmetrical" and "even," so that you feel more comfortable smiling, talking, and interacting with others.

Although Speech Pathologists are excellent at teaching you exercises to help you strengthen your facial muscles, your practicing these exercises with the added help of an EMG biofeedback system can be very encouraging to you.  By viewing a computer monitor displaying your facial muscle activity, you become more actively involved in your facial muscle exercises, you can document progress, and you can learn to inhibit your strong, unaffected muscles while simultaneously recruiting (tensing) your weak, affected muscles.

Sensors

Non-invasive, painless skin surface EMG biofeedback sensors are used.

Where sensors are placed

EMG sensors are strategically placed over the facial muscles involved in smiling.

Behavioral intervention

Learning and behavioral change

Muscle rehabilitation --- assisted by computerized biofeedback technology --- is the "key" to improving your facial control and symmetry. By combining the facial muscle exercises taught to you by your speech pathologist or other professional and observing your facial muscle activity on a computer monitor, you can begin to exert more voluntary control. One of the key elements of success with EMG biofeedback for facial droop is learning the inhibition (relaxation) of the muscles on the unaffected side of your face while simultaneously achieving the recruitment (contraction) of muscles on the affected side of your face.

Number of sessions

Substantial improvement in facial muscle control should be seen in approximately 12 sessions, provided, of course, that you are practicing and exercising faithfully at home as directed by your speech pathologist, neurologist, or other health care practitioner. Some speech pathologists suggest that you exercise two or three times daily. Your success is dependent upon your desire to achieve symmetry in your face once again.

Change in behavior

Goals

Obvious physical change in your face should be appreciated by the conclusion of EMG muscle rehabilitation training. When smiling, your face will likely look more symmetrical.