The purpose of this case study is to describe the diagnostic characteristics, symptomatology, alternative treatment, and outcome of 2 patients with persistent facial palsy from Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS). CLINICAL FEATURES: A 38-year-old female and a 55-year-old male presented with right-sided facial paralysis, which affected multiple cranial nerves....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No actionable change — two-patient case reports provide insufficient evidence to recommend conservative or chiropractic care for Ramsay Hunt Syndrome over established antiviral and corticosteroid protocols.
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome cases occasionally present in non-traditional clinical settings; awareness of its characteristic features (facial palsy, ear vesicles) among non-ENT practitioners supports earlier referral and diagnosis.
- 01Two patients with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (herpes zoster oticus causing facial palsy) were managed with conservative/alternative care.
- 02Persistent facial palsy was a key presenting feature in both cases.
- 03Published in Journal of Chiropractic Medicine — outside mainstream audiology/ENT literature.
- 04Case report design (n=2) cannot establish treatment efficacy.
- 05Standard care involves antivirals and corticosteroids; this study does not replace that guidance.
Conservative and alternative care approaches produced notable outcomes in two patients with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and persistent facial palsy.
studyunclear- PMID
- 42152904
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jcm.2025.09.011.
- Journal
- Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 2
- Population
- Two adults presenting with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and persistent facial palsy
- Intervention
- Conservative and alternative (chiropractic) care
Primary outcomes
Facial palsy resolution; Clinical symptom outcomes