Abstract
BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection serves as the primary modality for addressing hemifacial spasm (HFS) and blepharospasm (BFS), which are prevalent movement disorders affecting the craniofacial region. However, even though the short-term effectiveness of the botulinum injection may reach over 80%, the long-term effectiveness is still a debatable point Herein, we aim to investigate whether facial self-exercise following the BoNT injection can extend the time period of effectiveness. METHODS: In this study, 51 volunteers who received Onabotilinumtoxin A (BoNTA) treatment for the diagnosis of HFS or BFS, were randomized into 2 groups. A detailed instruction about the self-exercise was given by an experienced physician to the subjects in Group 1. Volunteers were asked to repeat the exercise program afterward and continue to each movement for 5 seconds, to repeat each movement 10 times with a 10-second break, every day, 3 times a week for 1 week. hemifacial spasm grating scale (HSGS) and Jankovic scales were used to assess the efficacy of the treatment. RESULTS: Both groups are similar to each other based on demographic features and the severity of the diseases. According to HSGS and Jankovic scales, at the end of the first month, there was no significant difference between the groups. At the end of the third month, the improvement achieved in the first month remained the same in each parameter in Group 1. On the other hand, in Group 2, most of the values returned to the baseline. CONCLUSION: Facial self-exercise following the botulinum toxin application may extend the period of effectiveness of botulinum toxin treatment the subjects with HFS and BFS.