Our Story

Built because the standard
of care wasn't good enough.

We believed that with the right information, the right community, and the right medical partnerships, we could fundamentally change what it means to receive a Bell's Palsy diagnosis in America.

Facing Forward Live Edge Conference Table
2024
Founded in
New York, NY
Why We Exist

The moment we decided
enough was enough.

Bell's Palsy can strike anyone — overnight, without warning. One day you wake up and half your face won't move. Doctors give you a prescription, maybe a pamphlet, and send you home.

And then what?

Facing Forward was founded because that experience — the fear, the isolation, the complete absence of clear next steps — doesn't have to be the standard. We believed that with the right information, the right community, and the right partnerships with medical professionals, we could fundamentally change what it means to receive a Bell's Palsy diagnosis.

We spent months building a knowledge base unlike anything in this space — cataloguing 46 treatment approaches, reviewing 17 peer-reviewed studies, tracking 20 active research pipeline projects — so that when patients come to us, we can give them something real. Not false reassurance. Real answers.

We are based in New York. We are small. We are serious. And we are just getting started.

Get in touch
Joel Wagschal

Founder & Director, Facing Forward

Samuel Eckstein

Executive Director, Facing Forward

Our Research

We don't guess.
We went looking for answers.

Our research team spent months cataloguing every known treatment approach for Bell's Palsy — evaluating evidence levels, clinical stages, safety profiles, and real-world outcomes.

🩺 Conventional Medicine

Corticosteroid therapy, antivirals, and vitamin B12 therapy — foundational care pathways with clear clinical guidance on when each applies.

💪 Rehabilitation

11 approaches including mirror therapy, EMG biofeedback, facial neuromuscular retraining, and knowledge mapping — graded by evidence level.

🌿 Complementary Approaches

18 treatments including acupuncture, moxibustion, low-level laser therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and mind-body interventions — evaluated honestly, including conflicting evidence.

🔬 Emerging Therapies

We track the frontier — hyperbaric oxygen, nerve growth factor therapy, and stem cell biofeedback. Local market application or potential future options.

46
Treatment approaches
catalogued
17
Peer-reviewed studies
reviewed
6
Clinical treatment
categories
20
Active research pipeline
projects tracked
Our Values

What we stand for.

❤️

Patient-first, always

Every decision we make runs through one filter: does this make life better for a Bell's Palsy patient or their family? If the answer is no, we don't do it.

🔬

Evidence over assumption

We don't tell patients what sounds good. We tell them what the research shows — including when it's limited or conflicting. Honesty is our core clinical value.

🌍

Radical transparency

We share our financials, our failures, and our learnings openly. There are no hidden agendas, no sponsored content, and no decisions made behind closed doors.

🤝

Inclusive by design

Bell's Palsy doesn't discriminate based on income, background, or geographic location. Neither do we. We actively ensure our resources are free and accessible regardless of background, language, or insurance status.

💬

Community over isolation

The loneliness of a Bell's Palsy diagnosis is as real to us as the physical symptoms. Building connection — so no patient feels alone — is core to our mission.

⚡

Urgency of care

Early intervention changes outcomes. We operate with the urgency this disease demands — because every hour in the first 72 matters for patients.