Miami Acupuncture & Herbal Solutions

Bell's Palsy and Trigeminal Neuralgia: A TCM Guide

How traditional Chinese medicine supports recovery from neurological issues of the face.

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Fasteraverage cure time when acupuncture was added to standard care in acute facial paralysis, in a 2025 meta-analysis.1
Betterresponse rate with electroacupuncture in stubborn, long-standing facial paralysis.3
Strongerresults than front-line pharmaceuticals alone for pain relief and response rate in trigeminal neuralgia.4
Diversetools, methods, and strategies tailored to the needs of each patient based on their presentation.

Understanding the Situation

What's Happening, and How We Approach It

The facial nerve moves your face and the trigeminal nerve feels it. While modern medicine is confounded as to why these nerves may misfire, traditional Chinese medicine identifies clear patterns. Modern medicine handles the diagnosis well. The gap is in recovery and in long-term control, and that is where we come in.

Bell's Palsy

When the nerve turns off

Sudden one-sided facial weakness. About 60 percent of patients recover within two weeks to three months with standard treatment, yet nearly 30 percent are left with lingering sequelae.1

  • Standard care: oral steroids, started early5
  • The gap: slow or incomplete recovery
  • Our role: support speed and quality of recovery
Trigeminal Neuralgia

When the face hurts

Sudden, electric-shock pain set off by a breeze, a bite, or a touch. Seizure medication remains the first-line medication,7 but some patients can't tolerate it, and many want more options.

  • Standard care: pharmaceuticals, then surgery if it fails
  • The gap: side effects and incomplete relief
  • Our role: complementary pain control and support

Start with a physician

A sudden drooping face can be a stroke, and Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion that a physician must make. Early steroids matter,5 so please don't wait to be seen. Traditional care works best in tandem with conventional treatment where possible.

How We Help

Identifying Where You Are,
For Support Throughout the Process

Mechanisms include better local blood flow that reduces nerve swelling, calmer inflammation, and changes in how the brain controls the face and processes pain.1 Choose your condition:

The First Week

Early care is crucial in treatment of Bell's Palsy. After ruling out life-threatening conditions like stroke, we begin a comprehensive treatment protocol. A detailed review of the situations, environments and lifestyle factors which may have contributed to the condition is performed, so that the drivers of the issue are addressed and not just the symptoms.
Approach: comprehensive, vigorous, comprehensive support

Active Recovery

Facial acupuncture and electroacupuncture to keep muscles and nerve signaling active, Tui Na, warming therapies, and guided facial exercises. Herbal medicine, mindfulness, and environmental audit. We grade your facial function at every visit so progress is measured, not guessed.
Approach: stimulate, retrain, measure

Lingering Weakness & Synkinesis

If recovery stalls after three months, you're not out of options. Electroacupuncture produced significantly better response rates in intractable facial paralysis,3 and this is where persistent, specialized treatment pays off.Approach: sustained electroacupuncture and retraining

Multi-Modal Support

Four Tools, One Plan

Nerve conditions rarely live in the nerve alone. Neck, jaw and shoulder tension, stress, and sleep all feed the problem, so your plan can combine these.

Acupuncture & Electroacupuncture

The core of care. Fine needles at facial, scalp and distal points, with gentle electrical stimulation when it helps. Gentle stimulation of these areas supports nerve health and recovery.

Tui Na & Bodywork

Gentle facial and neck work, deep tissue massage and evaluation from our specialist, to address compensating tension.

Cupping & Gua Sha

Applied to release fascia and ease the muscle tension that often travels with facial nerve problems. Gua Sha moves blood and stimulates nerve pathways, or release fascia adhesion. Temporary marks are normal.

Herbal Medicine

Individualized formulas, with classical prescriptions used to treat underlying disfunctional patterns and support the nerves. Every formula is reviewed against your medications first.

What the Research Shows

Modern Evidence, Millennia of Practice

Facial nerve conditions have a growing body of evidence in support of acupuncture and other traditional Chinese medicine modalities. Every claim here links to a published source below.

Bell's Palsy

Frontiers in Neurology, 2025

Across 15 randomized trials and 771 patients, adding acupuncture to standard medical treatment in the acute phase raised the clinical effective rate by 11 percent, improved House-Brackmann facial grades, and cut cure time by about 11 days.1

Medicine, 2019

A meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing acupuncture with drug therapy found higher cure rates and total effective rates with acupuncture.2

PLOS ONE, 2023

In intractable facial paralysis, electroacupuncture improved the total effective rate 23 percent over comparison treatments (18 studies, 1,119 participants) and improved cure rates significantly.3

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2022

A network meta-analysis of 58 randomized trials and 4,126 participants found five acupuncture methods superior to front-line pharmaceuticals for pain reduction and response rate.4

Healthcare, 2026

A new meta-analysis of 23 trials and 1,774 participants found a directionally consistent signal that pain relief from acupuncture persists after treatment ends.8

What we know: The combination of standard medical care and TCM sees the greatest results. Western medicine excludes serious issues and can help manage severe side-effects, while acupuncture and other TCM methods engage biomechanics more completely and speeds the process.

What to Expect

Your Treatment Journey with Us

01

Free Consultation

We review your diagnosis, timeline, medications, and any ENT or neurology notes and imaging, then outline how we'd work alongside your physician.

02

Safety Screen & Assessment

We grade facial function or map your pain triggers, screen for red flags, and add TCM pulse, tongue and palpation. Anything that needs urgent medical attention gets a referral.

03

Active Treatment

Acupuncture and electroacupuncture, with Tui Na, cupping and herbs layered in. Visit frequency is set by your phase and how much the condition is affecting your life.

04

Home Care

For Bell's palsy, eye protection and gentle facial exercises as your doctor advises. For trigeminal neuralgia, trigger management and stress and sleep support between visits.

05

Reassess with Data

Facial grade and function scores for Bell's palsy, a pain diary for trigeminal neuralgia. If something isn't working, we change course.

Call 911 or seek emergency care first if you have:

Sudden facial droop with arm weakness, trouble speaking, vision changes or a severe headache, which can signal a stroke.

Same-day medical evaluation for facial weakness with ear pain or blisters, an eye that won't close, facial pain after head trauma, pain on both sides of the face, or facial pain with numbness or hearing changes.

The Clinic & Physicians

Where East and West Meet

Blake Estape, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M.
  • Dipl.O.M. (NCCAOM)
  • FSOMA Member
  • Hebei Medical University

Blake Estape grew up in Miami and spent a decade in China, training in clinics and hospitals with rotations in orthopedics, neurology and gastroenterology, working alongside physicians who treated everything from trauma to stroke. In 2015 he came home to bring that experience to the neighborhoods that raised him.

"You are a collaborator in your own care. Recovery happens together."

Modern healthcare is overburdened and has moved away from comprehensive care. Miami Acupuncture and Herbal Solutions was created so that patients have a place where their wellness is prioritized, not commoditized. Expect unhurried visits, a real assessment, evidence you can check, and plain talk about what acupuncture can and can't do. Read Blake's story.

Rozalie Petit-Frere, acupuncturist
  • Licensed Acupuncture Physician
  • Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine
Associate Acupuncturist

Rozalie Petit-Frere

Master's in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine, with a bachelor's in health sciences. Meet Rozalie

Natalie Kristen Reyes, licensed massage therapist
  • Licensed Massage Therapist
  • Certified - Lymphatic Drainage
Deep Tissue Massage Specialist

Natalie Kristen Reyes

Trained with exceptional practitioners, with a style focused on recovery from chronic pain and tension. Meet Natalie

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Most people improve. About 60 percent recover within two weeks to three months with standard treatment, but nearly 30 percent keep some residual weakness or sequelae.1 Starting medical treatment early matters, and supportive care can help make recovery faster and more complete.
Once you have a confirmed diagnosis, acupuncture can be started right away. Early intervention results in better likelihood of complete recovery, especially when treatments are combined with steroid treatment.
No. Electroacupuncture has shown significantly better response rates in intractable facial paralysis,3 and stalled recovery is exactly when sustained, specialized care helps most.
No. It isn't recommended to stop or change medication on your own. In the research acupuncture compares favorably with medication for pain relief,4 but the right plan is a decision with your physician. Many patients use acupuncture alongside medication to the greatest effect.
Facial needles are extremely fine and shallow, and most people feel little more than a light pinch or tingle. With trigeminal neuralgia we treat gently and plan around your triggers.
Adverse events are very rare when treatment is done by a trained, licensed practitioner using sterile single-use needles.9 Tell us if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, or are pregnant.

Related Conditions

Explore More of What We Treat

Migraines & Headaches

Another neurological pain pattern we treat in clinical depth.

Stress & Anxiety

Stress is a common trigger and amplifier of nerve symptoms.

Insomnia & Sleep

Pain and facial symptoms often wreck sleep, and sleep drives recovery.

Chronic Pain

How acupuncture addresses long-standing pain across the body.

Ready to Find Out
How Acupuncture Can Help?

Your first consultation is free. Bring your diagnosis, medication list and any notes, and we'll build a plan to work alongside your care team.

Book Your Free Consultation

7700 N. Kendall Drive, Suite 510, Miami, FL 33156
(786) 514-3942

References

  1. Zhang L, Ye M, Xie H, Hu Y, Yuan A. Comparison of acupuncture intervention from the acute phase or the non-acute phase in patients with peripheral facial paralysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurol. 2025;16:1690231. doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1690231
  2. Zhang R, Wu T, Wang R, Wang D, Liu Q. Compare the efficacy of acupuncture with drugs in the treatment of Bell's palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(19):e15566. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000015566
  3. Effects of electroacupuncture therapy on intractable facial paralysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2023;18(7):e0288606.
  4. Yin Z, Wang F, Sun M, Zhao L, Liang F. Acupuncture methods for primary trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022;2022:3178154.
  5. Gronseth GS, Paduga R. Evidence-based guideline update: steroids and antivirals for Bell palsy. Neurology. 2012;79:2209-2213. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e318275978c
  6. Baugh RF, Basura GJ, Ishii LE, et al. Clinical practice guideline: Bell's palsy. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(3 Suppl):S1-S27. doi:10.1177/0194599813505967
  7. Wang W, Wang W, Chen H, et al. Does acupuncture produce durable analgesia in trigeminal neuralgia? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare. 2026;14(13):1926. (Background statement on first-line therapy.) doi:10.3390/healthcare14131926
  8. Wang W et al. 2026, as above (23 trials, 1,774 participants).
  9. Chan MWC, Wu XY, Wu JCY, Wong SYS, Chung VCH. Safety of acupuncture: overview of systematic reviews. Sci Rep. 2017;7:3369. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-03272-0

This page is educational and does not replace individual medical advice.