What Researchers Did
Researchers compared the therapeutic effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to prednisone treatment in 79 subjects with Bell's palsy.
What They Found
At the 9-month follow-up, 95.2% of subjects treated with hyperbaric oxygen recovered completely, compared to 75.7% of those treated with prednisone. The average time to complete recovery was 22 days in the hyperbaric oxygen group versus 34.4 days in the prednisone group (P < 0.001).
Canadian Relevance
This study did not include Canadian participants or research sites, so there is no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are based on a relatively small sample size from a single center, which may limit generalizability.