• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.113-119
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• 2007

Objectives Benign essential blepharospasm is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions and spasms of the eyelid muscles. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of differences between facial skin temperaure of the paralyzed side and normal side in Essential Blepharospasm patients. Methods The author studied 13 patients with Essential Blepharospasm. We measured skin temperature of the forehead, zygoma area of the paralyzed side and those of the normal side with The Digital Infrared thermal image. Results There were no significant facial skin temperature differences between the paralyzed side and normal side. Conclusions Thermography is a useful diagnostic tool. But we expect that it is essential to diagnose a disease correctly at an early stage and to find a prompt treatment by introducing and utilizing a simple nonivading diagnofic method other than Thermography.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2022

Benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) is a condition/disease which involves involuntary muscle contractions causing the eye to repetitively close, making it impossible for the patient to perform daily activities. This study reports Korean medicine treatment of a rare case BEB in a 34-year-old male patient whose symptoms showed minimal improvement following botulinum toxin injection (the standard treatment). Acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine treatment for 11 days resulted in clinical improvement for all symptoms as assessed by using the Jankovic Rating Scale, Blepharospasm Disability Index, numerical rating scale, duration of spasms lasting more than 1 hour per day, and number of spasms lasting less than 1 minute per day. This case report suggests that comprehensive Korean medicine treatment could be a treatment option for BEB in patients who do not respond well to botulinum toxin injection.