Can needle pulses restore a smile? new trial for Bell's palsy
NCT ID NCT07514117
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether electroacupuncture (a type of acupuncture with mild electric pulses) can help people with Bell's palsy recover facial movement and reduce symptoms like drooping. About 111 adults who have had Bell's palsy for 3 weeks to 6 months will receive either real or sham electroacupuncture three times a week for 4 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in facial muscle function and nerve recovery using special tests and muscle activity readings.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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About 111 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * diagnosed clinically as BP, with imaging evidence (brain CT and/or MRI) excluding central nervous system lesions associated with facial palsy * the disease duration of 21 days to 3 months, inclusive * age 18-70 years * voluntary participation and provision of written informed consent * receipt of prednisolone during the acute phase at a daily dose of 30-60 mg for at least 5 days Exclusion Criteria: * facial paralysis caused by diseases other than Bell's palsy * previous facial paralysis * present with facial muscle spasm, synkinesis or contracture * Ramsay Hunt syndrome * history of facial surgery * implanted cardiac pacemakers * pregnancy or lactation * along with other severe uncontrolled diseases, recognition disorder, aphasia or mental disorders * present with bilateral facial paralysis
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a new turkish questionnaire capture the hidden impact of facial palsy?
- Can sugar water help restore facial movement in stubborn Bell's palsy?
- Shockwaves may help restore smiles in Bell's palsy patients
- Can electric acupuncture waves help bell palsy patients smile again?
- Can a specific electric pulse speed up bell palsy healing?