Bell’s palsy recovery with massage cupping, deep muscle techniques and stretching

16 Jan Bell’s palsy recovery with massage cupping, deep muscle techniques and stretching

At TAO we work with a variety of conditions and persons within medical treatments and alongside their doctors. Recently we have been given the opportunity to work with Bell’s palsy cases. We have seen Bell’s palsy before but we are moved to write about it at length as now it seems to be more prolific within the last few short weeks!

Our client recovering from Bell’s palsy asked her Doctor where and how does this happen?

While there is still no determining factor or direct answer as to why and how Bell’s palsy occurs, but it does have common themes; it is a virus, it is stress related, if you have had it once you can get it again.
Strangely enough our client’s doctor had seen 4 other cases of Bell’s palsy within a months time all of whom had been on airplanes recently. Could there be a connection?

A lowered immune system compromised by stress will allow pathogens and virus to enter the body more quickly.

Following our client’s recount, at the gym 10% of the members in ONE class are currently experiencing Bell’s palsy! 10%?!? 2 out of 12 people IN THE SAME ROOM? What is going on? We had to write this post!

What is Bells Palsy?
What are Bells Palsy signs and symptoms?
Even though these links don’t spell out STRESS as a cause of Bell’s Palsy, stress exacerbates the symptoms!

Staying up late at night to cram or finish a project?
Burning the candle at both ends?
The triggers for reactivation of the virus prior to the onset of Bell’s palsy have not been proven conclusively. Impaired immunity, whether temporary (stress, lack of sleep, minor illness, physical trauma, upper respiratory infection, etc.) or long-term (autoimmune syndromes, chronic disease, etc.) are strongly targeted as the most likely triggers.


There is a nerve that controls your facial muscles, which passes through a narrow corridor of bone on its way to your face which becomes inflamed and swollen. This area can be sensitive to touch, massage, etc. however the manual manipulation is still helping.

All stress exacerbates inflammation in the body. Basically, all inflammation is piles and piles of unaddressed stress!

Compression of the nerve is the injury that stops transmission of signals to muscles. Unable to receive signals to contract and relax, the muscles become temporarily weakened or paralyzed.

Paralyzed muscles can shrink and shorten, causing permanent contractures. While this will likely take a very long time, manual massage and exercises can help prevent this from occurring.
ICYWW…when talking about a rare disorder like Bell’s palsy many people immediately ask “Is it contagious?
The answer is, no.


So how does facial massage cupping, facial massage, scalp massage and upper body massage aid in the recovery of Bell’s palsy? All of the above aide in the DECOMPRESSION of tight tense muscle tissue, help CIRCULATION of new blood and oxygen to those weakened stagnant muscles that are not getting nerve signals.

All we know is that after our Bell’s palsy clients leave TAO they instantly say they feel better.

We have to be doing something right…

Check out The Facial Paralysis Foundation for more information, support, education and awareness about Bell’s palsy.