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Can electric acupuncture waves restore a paralyzed face?

NCT ID NCT07598175

Symptom relief Sponsor: The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
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Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

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Status unknown
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First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 4 times

Summary

This study will test whether different types of electrical acupuncture can help adults recover from Bell's palsy, a condition that causes sudden facial paralysis. One hundred participants will receive either low-frequency continuous or intermittent electrical pulses over 4 weeks. Researchers will measure facial nerve function and safety to find the best waveform for recovery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
electroacupuncture
What this could lead to
If successful, this could identify the best electroacupuncture waveform to speed up facial recovery in Bell's palsy patients.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study with only 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect of electroacupuncture is still uncertain and may not outperform standard care.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Nov 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria for Bell's Palsy Subjects： * Meet the above Bell's palsy diagnostic criteria; * Age 18-65 years, either gender; * Disease course in recovery phase (21 days ≤ course ≤ 6 months) and not recovered (FNGS 2.0 score \>4); * Voluntarily participate in this study and sign informed consent. Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Subjects： * Do not meet the above Bell's palsy diagnostic criteria; * Age 18-65 years, either gender, matched to Bell's palsy subjects within 5 years for age and gender; * Normal facial nerve function, FNGS 2.0 score = 4; * Voluntarily participate in this study and sign informed consent. Exclusion Criteria for Bell's Palsy Subjects： * Facial trauma, skin lesions, or other diseases that may cause facial paralysis symptoms; * Diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome (herpes zoster oticus); * Bilateral facial paralysis; * Previous history of facial paralysis; * Facial synkinesis, contracture, or spasm already present; * History of facial surgery; * Uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, severe cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease, cognitive impairment, aphasia, or mental disorders; * Pacemaker use; * Pregnant or lactating patients. Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Subjects： * Facial trauma, skin lesions, or other diseases that may affect facial muscle activity; * Previous history of facial paralysis; * History of facial surgery; * Uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, severe cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease, cognitive impairment, aphasia, or mental disorders; * Pacemaker use; * Pregnant or lactating patients.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Bell's palsy

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Bell's palsy

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