For home electrical stimulation with Bell's palsy, which muscle should be stimulated as part of the home program?

For home electrical stimulation with Bell's palsy, which muscle should be stimulated as part of the home program?

• A. Sternocleidomastoid
• B. Masseter
• C. Temporalis
• D. Frontalis

Answer: (D)

Frontalis is the muscle to stimulate because it is controlled by the facial nerve and drives forehead elevation, a movement commonly affected in Bell's palsy. Targeting this muscle with home electrical stimulation helps re-educate the facial nerve pathways and promote symmetrical forehead movement, which supports both expression and eye protection. The other muscles are governed by different nerves and serve non-facial-expression roles—sterno­cleidomastoid by the accessory nerve for neck movement, and masseter and temporalis by the trigeminal nerve for chewing—so stimulating them does not directly retrain the facial nerve in this condition.

Frontalis is the muscle to stimulate because it is controlled by the facial nerve and drives forehead elevation, a movement commonly affected in Bell's palsy. Targeting this muscle with home electrical stimulation helps re-educate the facial nerve pathways and promote symmetrical forehead movement, which supports both expression and eye protection. The other muscles are governed by different nerves and serve non-facial-expression roles—sterno­cleidomastoid by the accessory nerve for neck movement, and masseter and temporalis by the trigeminal nerve for chewing—so stimulating them does not directly retrain the facial nerve in this condition.