[EMG biofeedback training at home for patient with chronic facial palsy and defective healing].

BACKGROUND: There is no standard for the adjuvant treatment of patients with chronic facial palsy and defective healing. There is a lack of standard for mimic training programs with biofeedback technique. The advantages of modern EMG based biofeedback training have not been evaluated yet. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After detailed instruction 8 patients with facial palsy tested several types of electrodes and different EMG biofeedback programs without and with electrostimulation for selected mimic muscle activation, muscle relaxation, coordinated movements with the healthy contralateral side, as well as synchronous activation and relaxation of synkinetic muscle pairs at home. Feasibility, practical handling, training intensity and compliance were evaluated. RESULTS: Because of the mobility of the facial skin connected to the mimic muscles and the smallness of the muscles on the other hand, only one type of electrodes and one size was suitable. A step-wise treatment algorithm for the use of the different EMG biofeedback program was developed supporting the patient to specifically exercise deficits of defective healing at home. CONCLUSION: The proposed standardized algorithm to treat facial defective healing with EMG biofeedback is the basis for the evaluation of its efficacy in a subsequent clinical trial.