Facial exercises are one of the most commonly recommended remedies for Bell’s palsy. However, not all exercises are helpful, and some can actually cause harm – especially if done at the wrong stage of recovery. Understanding what to do and when to do it can make a significant difference in your outcome.
In this article, we explain which facial exercises can support your recovery, which ones to avoid, and why timing matters.
Please note that in this article, we discuss peripheral facial palsy. We use the terms “Bell’s palsy” and “facial palsy” interchangeably for simplicity, as is common practice. For information about recovery after surgical or traumatic facial nerve damage, please contact us.
Why facial exercises are a sensitive topic
When Bell’s palsy strikes, it is natural to want to “train” the affected muscles back into action. Many doctors, physiotherapists, and online sources recommend starting facial exercises as soon as possible. However, the reality is more nuanced than that.
The facial nerve controls your facial muscles. When the nerve is damaged, your muscles are not weak in the traditional sense – they are disconnected from the brain. No amount of exercise can speed up nerve regeneration. The nerve needs to heal first, and only then can the muscles begin to respond again.
Aggressive exercises during the early stages – when the nerve has not yet recovered – can lead to complications. The most common of these is synkinesis, a condition where involuntary movements develop alongside voluntary ones.
The acute phase (first 2-4 weeks): what to do
During the acute phase of Bell’s palsy, the facial nerve is healing. At this point, your facial muscles may be completely paralyzed on the affected side.
During this period, gentle movements are acceptable, but forceful exercises are not recommended. What you can do: try to make gentle, small movements of your face in front of a mirror. If a movement does not happen, do not force it. Simply attempt it lightly and move on.
What you should avoid: repetitive, forceful contractions like hard squeezing of the eyes, exaggerated smiling, or blowing up balloons. Chewing gum is another commonly recommended activity that can actually be counterproductive during recovery.
The key principle during the acute phase is: less is more. Your nerve needs time to heal, not stimulation.
When movements start returning
Once the first signs of recovery appear – small twitches, slight voluntary movements – this is when gentle, controlled exercises can become useful.
At this stage, the goal is not to build strength but to re-establish the brain-to-muscle connection. The exercises should be slow, small, and symmetrical. You want to train your brain to activate the correct muscles in isolation, rather than forcing large movements that recruit multiple muscle groups at once.
What to avoid at every stage
Certain practices are commonly recommended but can be harmful throughout recovery:
- Electrical stimulation of the facial muscles is sometimes offered by physiotherapists. However, electrical stimulation bypasses the natural nerve-muscle connection and can contribute to synkinesis. We advise against it.
- Forceful, repetitive exercises such as hard blinking, exaggerated grimacing, or resistance training for facial muscles can cause or worsen synkinesis.
- Massage with strong pressure on the affected side can irritate the tissues and does not contribute to nerve healing. If you do any massages or use warm compresses, keep them gentle.
If synkinesis has already developed
If you notice that your eye closes when you smile, or your mouth pulls when you blink, synkinesis has likely developed. At this point, general facial exercises can make things worse.
What helps in this situation is a targeted approach: learning to isolate specific muscle groups and working with the brain to separate the movements that have become linked. This is a core part of the Neuro-Proprioceptive Rehabilitation method that we use at Crystal Touch clinic.
You can learn more about managing synkinesis in our articles: What you can do yourself to reduce synkinesis and Which recovery methods can help reduce synkinesis.
How we can help
If you are unsure about which exercises are appropriate for your stage of recovery, or if your progress has stalled, an online video consultation can help clarify your situation. During the consultation, we can assess your current condition and provide specific guidance on what you should and should not be doing.
You can also explore our Bell’s palsy video courses for structured educational content, or learn more about our recovery programs.
