Weeks 4-6

Unless you have experienced a full recovery, the following should continue to be part of your rehabilitation.

Facial massage
Facial relaxation at rest
Eye care

If you experience tearing in the affected eye, then it is likely that the eye is dry, so it is very important that regular eye lubrication continues even if you think that your eye is closing properly. The blink may be better but often it takes much longer to fully recover and the blink is often slow and incomplete for many weeks and months.

If you have not noticed any signs of recovery 4 weeks following the onset of your symptoms, then you should seek a referral to a specialist facial palsy service or specialist therapist experienced in the rehabilitation of facial palsy. You will need a GP referral or Consultant referral in order for this to happen. It may take several weeks or possibly months before you receive an appointment which is why a referral should be requested at this stage. It may be that you go on to make a good recovery before you are seen by a specialist but is still worth keeping that appointment just in case there are any minor residual problems that need to be addressed.

By this time your muscles may be less droopy and feel firmer. Your facial symmetry at rest may have improved and you might have noticed tiny flickers of movement. In which case you are progressing and are now in the paretic stage of recovery.

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Week 1

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