Facial Paralysis

What is Facial Paralysis?

Facial paralysis is when a person can no longer move some or all of the muscles on one or both sides of the face. The most common cause of facial paralysis is the neurological disorder Bell's palsy.

Causes of Facial Paralysis

Facial paralysis occurs when there is:

Damage or swelling of the facial nerve, which carries signals from the brain to the muscles of the face
Damage to the area of the brain that sends signals to the muscles of the face

This damage can be caused by:

Stroke 
Head, neck or brain tumor
Bell's palsy
Autoimmune disorders
Skull fracture
Lyme disease
Sarcoidosis
Trauma during birth

UR Medicine's Treatments for Facial Paralysis

Your provider will perform an exam to see the movement of your face, and they may do an imaging scan.

Treatment will be determined based on the cause of your facial paralysis. Your options include:

Non-surgical treatments:

Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation
Antivirals to fight a possible infection
Botox injections to treat involuntary muscle movements
Physical therapy to improve facial symmetry
Speech therapy to help you regain your speech and swallow function
Neuromuscular Facial Retraining to retrain facial muscles for movement and expression

Surgical treatments:

Reanimation surgery to restore your ability to smile
Surgery to remove a tumor
Cosmetic surgery, such as:
- Brow lifts
- Facelifts
- Facial slings 
- Eyelid surgery

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, part of UR Medicine Otolaryngology, offers comprehensive facial and neck care that includes both reconstructive and aesthetic services. Reconstructive procedures include rhinoplasty and other techniques for nasal breathing and nasal deformity, facial reanimation for patients with facial paralysis, reconstructive surgery following skin cancer removal, scar revision, as well as microvascular free-tissue transfer and repair of maxillofacial trauma.

Our talented physicians and caring support staff treat every patient with the highest respect, care, and attentiveness. Our surgeons are highly experienced and are trained to perform the most complex reconstructive surgical procedures while working collaboratively with other physicians to treat each individual patient. In addition, our physicians are also highly regarded educators and researchers and provide topnotch education and mentoring to the next generation of plastic surgeons.

Our Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) have specialty training and expertise in evaluating and treating individuals with facial paralysis, paresis or synkinesis due to facial nerve injury.