Abstract
This paper describes the results of a questionnaire survey on the facts about rehabilitation treatment of peripheral facial nerve palsy given by facilities affiliated with the Aichi Prefectural Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for Health and Welfare. Self-administered questionnaires were sent by mail to seven hospitals (excluding our hospital) affiliated with the prefectural Koseiren in order to check up on whether they are actually providing rehabilitation programs for peripheral facial nerve palsy or not; patient occupation (specialty of rehab providers?), departments from which the patients were referred for rehabilitation, the time when rehabilitation began, frequency, finishing time, yardstick for terminating rehab, program contents, etc. The survey found that four hospitals are giving treating and training for rehabilitation such as massaging, stretching and toning of facial muscles. For pathologic synergic control, one hospital had a feedback training program. None of these four hospitals provided low-frequency current therapy. In view of the facts that any treatment methodology was yet to be established for pathologic synergic control and there are three facilities without any rehabilitation program, we felt keenly the need to put a greater emphasis on the importance of rehabilitation intervention and encourage many more health facilities to rehabilitative care.
