New Research Sheds Light on Bell’s Palsy

Recent research reporting on a 68-year-old man who was suffering from Bell’s Palsy reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in caring for people with this condition. The research reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research showed improvements in Bell’s Palsy after chiropractic adjustments to the upper part of the neck.

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“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between structural abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. 

Research has shown not only that the brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurological communication and pathways involved in helping humans balance and orient themselves in space are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways. 

“It makes perfect sense when you think about it” stated Dr. McCoy. “Inflammation and swelling disorders of the facial nerve may be related to how the entire body communicates with the brain and the most critical area for this is the spine and the most critical area of the spine is the upper part of the neck.” 

According to McCoy “People’s nervous systems need the constant stimulation of movement in order to develop and function properly. Abnormal structural shifts can occur in the spine and these structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. 

The patient reported on in this study was a 68-year-old male suffering with Bell’s Palsy of a two-week duration. He could not close his eyelid and had difficulty eating, drinking, and speaking. Five months before seeing the chiropractor, he had been in an accident leaving him with a “broken back” and concussion.   He used medication, an eye patch, and eye drops and nothing helped him. 

The chiropractor examined him, took x-rays, and found decreased range of motion and structural shifts in his upper neck. The structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.  Tests were also performed to verify that his nervous system was not functioning properly.  

The man was adjusted by the chiropractor and he experienced complete resolution of his Bell’s Palsy following care. The study’s authors called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this population of patients.