{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T21:06:50Z","timestamp":1783544810724,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMR"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,17]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>BACKGROUND: Up to now there is not enough evidence that supports the use of electrotherapy in the treatment of Bell\u2019s palsy. OBJECTIVE: Through a systematic review, we aimed to verify whether the use of electrotherapy is effective for treating Bell\u2019s palsy or peripheral paralysis. METHODS: Publications were searched in PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science. The present systematic review included studies that analyzed the electrotherapy as a therapeutic method for treating individuals with Bell\u2019s palsy, in order to recover the function of facial muscles. RESULTS: Seven studies involving a total of 131 cases and 113 controls were included in this systematic review. In the studies analyzed, patients received electrotherapy combined with other treatments such as hot-wet facial napkins, massages and muscle reeducation. Although the effect of electrotherapy alone was not evaluated, the use of electrotherapy combined with other treatments produced a significant improvement in the individuals evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the diverse methodologies used and the small number of individuals included in the studies, we could not fully prove the efficacy of electrotherapy for treating Bell\u2019s Palsy. Future studies with larger samples and homogenous populations should be performed to obtain conclusive results.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3233\/bmr-171031","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,6]],"date-time":"2020-03-06T10:14:19Z","timestamp":1583489659000},"page":"865-874","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Efficacy of electrotherapy in Bell\u2019s palsy treatment: A systematic review"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"33","author":[{"given":"Elena Guadalupe","family":"Burelo-Peregrino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad Ju\u00e1rez Aut\u00f3noma de Tabasco, Divisi\u00f3n Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Comalcalco, Tabasco, M\u00e9xico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marisol","family":"Salas-Maga\u00f1a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad Ju\u00e1rez Aut\u00f3noma de Tabasco, Divisi\u00f3n Acad\u00e9mica de Ciencias de la Salud, Villahermosa, Tabasco, 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