Bells Palsy face paralysis is not final

[JakeSterling]

This is just a quick piece of advice. Back in the late 1990s I suffered Bell's Palsy which left me with the left side of my face partially paralyzed. Before that, I had been a flute player and also played bassoon, but the paralysis completely wrecked my embouchure. In fact air would just blow out the left side of my mouth when I tried to play. I couldn't even play a recorder and, if I tried, I quickly developed really painful cramps. My neurologist told me that it would probably get better over time; but, as it turned out, while my condition improved somewhat, it never went away and I didn't recover the ability to play. The neurologist's opinion was that there was nothing that could be done.

I am writing this because, actually, that wasn't true. Something could have been done. After 15 years with a paralyzed face I am now playing the flute again. What happened was, I was in India and went to an Ayurvedic clinic (Ayurveda is traditional Indian medicine) for another problem and the doctor asked about my face. I told him about the Bell's Palsy and he looked a bit sad, saying, "I wish I had seen you when it happened, Ayurveda is quite useful in treating this sort of paralysis; but a lot of time has gone by and the muscles may have atrophied. But still, we may be able to do something to help."

The treatment involved daily applications of medicated steam delivered though a hollow papaya branch. I didn't actually believe it would do anything. I mean, the whole steaming apparatus was jury rigged from a large pressure cooker with a rubber hose connecting the vent on the top to the hollow papaya branch. The hose kept falling off while they were steaming my face. It was not impressive. However, when I got back to the U.S.A. I dug out my flute (which I hadn't had the heart to sell) and tried playing. I played for about ten minutes without cramps, but the unused muscles on the left side rapidly became fatigued. But I have been working on it and, while I don't have the ease of playing I had before and the third octave is not exactly suave, I can play again.

So, the point of this is, if you get Bells Palsy, get yourself to the doctor ASAP. There are several different causes, but one of the most common is Herpes Zoster (tertiary Chicken Pox), the same thing that causes shingles. If it is caught within the first 48 hours, there are anti-viral drugs that can really reduce its virulence. If too much time goes by and those drugs won't work, don't believe anyone who says to just wait it out. Find a reliable alternative medical practitioner who knows what they are doing and start therapy. It might make the difference between continuing to play and losing that ability—not to mention that your face loses its beauty when half of it is paralyzed (and, yes, I do care about that). This is one of those ailments where the Western medical world really has its collective head up its ass.

[Classitar]

Thanks for sharing that Jake

[flutego12]

[quote="JakeSterling"]This is just a quick piece of advice. Back in the late 1990s I suffered Bell's Palsy which left me with the left side of my face partially paralyzed. Before that, I had been a flute player and also played bassoon, but the paralysis completely wrecked my embouchure. In fact air would just blow out the left side of my mouth when I tried to play. I couldn't even play a recorder and, if I tried, I quickly developed really painful cramps. My neurologist told me that it would probably get better over time; but, as it turned out, while my condition improved somewhat, it never went away and I didn't recover the ability to play. The neurologist's opinion was that there was nothing that could be done.

Jake, that is just a sterling piece of advice.
Like Classitar says, thank you for sharing this.
We are so glad to know that you are well and ENJOYING the flute again.
May you go from strength to strength ...