During one of our webinars, we received a question of whether Electrical Stimulation can be detrimental to the conductivity of the facial nerve?
Electrical Stimulation can increase the manifestation of synkinesis
While Electrical Stimulation may not be detrimental to the conductivity of the facial nerve, it can make your synkinesis more pronounced. There are a few scientific studies about this. The studies also conclude that Electrical Stimulation is not efficient for the treatment of the facial nerve, and we also agree with these conclusions. Nevertheless, it is still sometimes practised in Brazil and in a few other countries.
What Electrical Stimulation does, is that it makes your facial muscles contract and relax. This is ineffective, as after facial palsy your muscles are not affected, there is nothing wrong with them. It is the facial nerve that sustained the damage. To give an analogy: shaking the bulb (making the facial muscles contract) will not make the lamp give light again if the wire (the facial nerve) is damaged.
At Crystal Touch clinic, we do not use Electrical Stimulation in our Neuro-Proprioceptive Rehabilitation programs.
