Bell's palsy is not a mini stroke and Bell's palsy is not caused by a stroke or mini stroke although the symptoms of a stroke and Bell's palsy are similar.
Strokes and mini strokes can also cause numbness on one side of the body or face and weakness in the arms and legs on one side.
But Bell's palsy never presents with weakness of the arms or legs or difficulty moving the tongue or the eyes.
Regardless of which symptoms are seen, medical attention is needed quickly for Bell's palsy or a stroke.
Bell palsy is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis.
Bell palsy begins suddenly and can get worse over 48 hours.
This condition results from damage to the facial nerve (the 7th cranial nerve).
Pain and discomfort usually occur on one side of the face or head.
Synkinesis in Bell's palsy is involuntary and undesirable facial movements (aka “simultaneous movement”) associated with voluntary facial movements.
An example of Synkinesis in Bell's palsy is when one of your eyes closes when you smile.
The Synkinesis in Bell's palsy often develops in people who have had or has Bell's Palsy.
Synkinesis will not go away completely.
However, with continued therapy that may include facial retraining, chemodenervation, and other treatments such as mindfulness, the severity of synkinesis can be reduced.
People dealing with synkinesis can experience facial muscle spasms and other unwanted movements that impact their quality of life.
Selective neurolysis is the best surgical treatment for most people with partial facial paralysis and synkinesis.
Facial re-education” is sometimes used to help minimize the effects of synkinesis after Bell's palsy.
It involves teaching a person how to perform various facial exercises, such as keeping the face up when speaking and chewing food with the eyes open.
Synkinesis can cause pain, but neuromuscular retraining is used to help people reduce or eliminate this issue.
Thanks to physical therapy, a person can use exercises to strengthen facial muscles affected by synkinesis.
As a person performs these exercises, pain may decline accordingly.
Post-paralytic facial synkinesis after facial nerve injury produces functional disabilities and mimetic deficits, but also cosmetic and non-motor psychosocial impairments for the patients.