Objective:To observe and compare the clinical efficacy of different acupuncture methods in the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) at the acute stage. MethodsA total of 90 cases of patients with PFP at the acute stage were randomly divided into group A, group B and group C with 30 cases in each group. All groups were given basic western medicine treatment routinely while at the acute stage group A was also treated with shallow needling and group B with auricular acupuncture; after the acute stage, all groups were treated with acupuncture, electro-acupuncture and post-needling flash cupping on the affected side of face. The total treatment course was four weeks. The clinical effect, the Portmann criteria score and the change of Facial Disability Index Physiology (FDIP) before and after treatment in the three groups were compared.  Results:①After treatment, the Protmann criteria score and FDIP in the three groups all increased when compared with those before treatment respectively (P<0.01); the scores of Protmann criteria and FDIP in group A and group B were higher than those in group C with significant difference (P<0.01). ②The clinical efficacy rate in group A and group B was 86.7% and 83.3% respectively, higher than that of 56.7% in group C (P <0.05); the difference of clinical efficacy rate between group A and group B was not significant (P>0.05).  Conclusion:The application of shallow needling and auricular acupuncture to the treatment of PFP at the acute stage can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients compared to the single therapy of western medicine treatment and increase clinical efficacy rate without increasing the risk of hemifacial spasm.