Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of different Chinese medicine treatments on peripheral facial paralysis. Methods Three hundred and forty-eight patients with peripheral facial paralysis were randomized into acupuncture group（ 96 cases）

ginger moxibustion group（ 96 cases）

electroacupuncture group（ 94 cases） and Chinese medicine group（ 62 cases）

then another 60 patients were recruited as a western medicine group. The acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture alone

the ginger moxibustion group was treated with acupuncture and ginger moxibustion on lesion side of face

and the electroacupuncture group was treated with acupuncture and electroacupuncture on lesion side of face. The above three groups were treated once daily. western medicine group was given oral vitamin B1 tablets and vitamin B12 tablets（ 20 mg/time

3 times a day） and prednisone tablets（ 20 mg/time

once a day）. Chinese medicine group was given oral decoction of Qianzheng San（ 牵正散） with one dose a day. Each group was treated for 20 days. The scores of House Brackman（ HB） grade and facial nerve function scale were observed on the 10 th and 20 th day during treatment and one month after treatment. The clinical efficacy and safety were also evaluated. Results On the 10 th and 20 th day of treatment and during the follow-up

the scores of HB grading and facial nerve function significantly improved in each group（ P < 0. 01）. On the 20 th day and during the follow-up

the HB grade score in theacupuncture group

the electroacupuncture group

the ginger moxibustion group and Chinese medicine group was significantly better than that in western medicine group（ P < 0. 01）. On the 10 th and 20 th day of treatment and during the follow-up

facial nerve function score in the acupuncture group

the electroacupuncture group

the ginger moxibustion group and Chinese medicine group was significantly better than that in western medicine group（ P < 0. 01）. There was no significant difference in the total effective rate among these groups

but the good improvement rate in western medicine group was significantly lower than that in other groups（ P < 0. 01）. There was no significant difference in other indicators between each group except for western medicine group（ P > 0. 05）. Conclusion Acupuncture

ginger moxibustion

electroacupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can all be effective in the treatment of facial paralysis and seem have similar efficacy

and there effect seem all superior to western medicine control.