Speech Scope Episode 26: Facial Nerve Paralysis: How Can Therapists and Surgeons Collaborate?

Dr. Nina Lu, MD, facial plastic surgeon and director of the Facial Nerve Center at the University of Washington (UW), and Emily Wilson, MS, CCC-SLP, a facial therapist and lecturer at UW, join host Sarah Baar for an eye-opening look at interdisciplinary care for facial nerve paralysis. Sarah dives into this underexplored topic with curiosity, asking how therapists and surgeons can truly partner in meaningful ways. Together, they unpack what collaboration looks like in practice, explore evidence-based approaches to facial retraining, and reflect on the power of aligning goals with patient priorities. If you’ve ever wondered where facial therapy fits into your scope—or how to build bridges across disciplines—this conversation is for you.Learning OutcomesAnalyze the evidence around individualized treatment planning for facial paralysis resulting from peripheral nerve injuryDetermine the situations in which interdisciplinary collaboration enhances patient outcomes in facial nerve rehabilitationSolve patient case scenarios involving peripheral facial nerve paralysis by applying collaborative treatment planning between therapists and surgeonsTimestamps(00:00:00) Welcome(00:00:05) Introduction to facial nerve injury and therapy(00:04:54) Understanding facial paralysis: causes and patient diversity(00:08:11) The role of multidisciplinary clinics in treatment(00:12:47) Collaboration between otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists(00:17:45) Patient goals and outcomes in facial therapy(00:23:20) Assessment and measurement in facial therapy(00:28:15) Billing and therapy codes: navigating the system(00:29:41) Collaboration between therapists and physicians(00:33:29) Understanding synkinesis: a complex recovery(00:35:36) Therapeutic techniques: soft-tissue mobilization(00:41:02) Patient engagement: the key to successful therapy(00:45:30) The multidisciplinary approach to facial reanimation(00:47:46) Networking for facial therapy: building connections(00:52:40) Actionable takeaways for clinicians(00:56:21) Final thoughts: the future of facial therapySpeech Scope is brought to you by Medbridge. If you’d like to earn continuing education credit for listening to this episode and access bonus takeaway handouts, log in to your Medbridge account and navigate to the course where you’ll find accreditation details. If applicable, complete the post-course assessment and survey to be eligible for credit. The takeaway handout on Medbridge gives you the key points mentioned in this episode, along with additional resources you can implement into your practice right away.To hear more episodes of Speech Scope, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/speech-scope⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you’d like to subscribe to Medbridge, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.medbridge.com/pricing/