• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.140-146
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• 2004

Objectives : this study is to see if there is a significance in thermal differences of acupoints in diagnosis and treatment period of facial paralysis and to substantiate the validity of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for it. Methods : 1. By using DITI, thermal differences of acupoints on the face and the upper limbs of 13 Bell's palsy patients were measured around 3 days after an attack of the disease. These 13 patients, whose treatment progress was monitored up to 6 months after attack, were among the inpatients and outpatients of oriental internal medicine of National Medical Center from July 1 to August 31. 2. The patients were divided into 1month, 2-3months, 4months, 6months groups according to the occasion of improvement and thermal averages of each treatment period measured. Results : When it takes within 1 month for the condition of facial paralysis to change for the better, DITI image shows the temperature of the affected face parts and arms is higher than that of the non-affected parts. However, when it takes more than 4 months, the temperature of the affected face parts and arms on DITI image is lower than that of the non-affected parts. Conclusions : Hereby, prognosis of the disease and necessary time for the treatment can be presumed through DITI screening after an occurrence of facial paralysis. Also, condition of the disease is reflected by thermal differences of acupoints for Bell's palsy treatment that are in accordance with the theory of meridian on the face. This supports the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for this disease.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.93-103
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• 2006

Objectives : To Investigate Severity Measurement and the Correlation between Acupoints on the Face and the Upper limb in Bell's Palsy Patients by Using of DITI. Methods : By using of DITI, thermal differences between abnormal and normal site in acupoints on the face and the upper limbs of 21 Bell's palsy patients who visited department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion in National Medical Center from 1st February 2004 to 31th December 2005 were measured around 7days after the onset in standardized Environment. The patients were classified by severity scale. Results : The means of thermal difference of the facial acupoints were significantly distributed at each grade. The thermal difference of GB14 was significantly correlated with thermal difference of TE4, the thermal difference of S4 was significantly correlated with thermal difference of L6 and SI4, the thermal difference of STI18 was significantly correlated with thermal difference of LI11 and the thermal difference of LI20 was significantly correlated with thermal difference of LI11 and LI4. The thermal differences of acupoints in Large intestine meridian were more closely correlated with thermal difference of the facial acupoints than thermal difference of acupoints in the other meridians. Conclusion : Severity of Bell's palsy can be presumed through DITI image. And the theory of meridian was confirmed by DITI in Bell's palsy patients.