Conditions We Treat

Facial Palsy

Including palsy caused by

  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
  • Surgical removal of tumour, such as Acoustic Neuroma, Facial Schwannoma
  • Parotid Gland Resection
  • Congenital Facial Palsy, including Moebius Syndrome
  • Lyme Disease
  • Melkerssohn- Rosenthal Syndrome
  • Guillain Barre Syndrome
  • Post Facial Reanimation Surgery
  • Trauma injury to the Facial Nerve

Peripheral Nerve Damage

Nerve damage leading to paralysis or muscle weakness, including:

  • Drop Foot
  • Brachial Plexus Injury
  • Viral nerve conditions, such as brachial neuritis, radial neuritis
  • Muscle weakness as a result of incomplete spinal cord injury
  • Transverse Myelitis

What to Expect When Attending Clinic

Most patients are referred to the Lindens Clinic via their consultant, physiotherapist or GP.  However, we also accept self referrals and in which case we suggest that you phone or email us with some details of your condition so that we can discuss the relevance of treatment to you.

You should always allow approximately 60 to 90 minutes for your assessment which will include static photography, scoring of your facial Range of Movement and surface Electromyography testing.

The EMG test allows us to look at the firing pattern of the facial nerve and compare to the affected side to the non affected side, such that we can target treatment more effectively and then monitor your progress.  It is a pain free and non invasive test, with results available on the day.

 

After The Assessment

After the assessment and during the same session we will start your home based treatment programme.  The first phase is a treatment which you will do daily at home using a Trophic Electrical Stimulator.  The focus on home based treatment means that clinic sessions are usually 3-4 months apart depending on travel arrangements.

 

Other Treatments

Other treatments maybe introduced as required during the patients rehabilitation such as

  1. Surface Electromyograph Biofeedback which is performed in clinic in order to improve control over the face. Based on which you are given a programme of active exercises to practice daily in order to bring newly learnt control into everyday function.
  2. Myofascial Release techniques are performed in clinic, with the aim of improving soft tissue mobility on the affected side of the face, allowing increased range of movement as the nerve activity increases.
  3. Stretching Techniques are then taught to be applied several times a week at home in order to maintain the soft tissue length gained during Myofascial Release sessions
  4. Dissociation Exercises are taught to promote normal movement and to control the Synkinesis.