Acupressure bands
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I have long been curious about those little wrist bands sold in the local drugstore. The claim is that they reduce travel sickness, or really nausea in general. Do they work? And how?
From the research, the answer seems to be sometimes and … well, how they work is a matter of debate.
The idea is that a small bead pushed on an acupressure point in your wrist. That’s about all there is to it. Very attractive because the price is low, it’s not invasive and doesn’t involve drugs, and you can buy them all over the place. I’m familiar with the Travel Eze Wristbands
They may be cheap, but we know that with so many options we can’t waste our money on all of them. How do these really work is the question it comes down to.
A small study in 2003 was done with cancer patients who used the acupressure bands and stimulation bands (which puts out a mild electrical pulse) (through the University of Rochester Medical Center). The study found that many people found them helpful, but only those people who expected them to work. Those who didn’t got no benefit.
Now I’d like to see what happens if people didn’t have expectations either way – that would be the real test. So I don’t think this “proves” that there’s only a placebo effect here. But it does seem to point in that direction.
In the end, the nausea relief was not dramatic anyway. Then again, other tests done have shown that these wrist bands are a measurable help. So I leave it up to you whether or not to give them a try. If you’ve noticed a major improvement, prove me wrong by leaving a comment.
30 October 2006 @ 3:07 pm
I’ve used these successfully to stop the nausea from motion sickness many times but then I lost the set. I had only ever seen them in the drug store here (Canada) for $20 which is quite pricey and I was skeptical that they would work for other kinds of nausea, namely the kind that comes with my migraines. Not long ago I did buy a set when I saw them at the drug store–I thought I’d give them a try next time I had any nausea that wasn’t motion-induced.
Unfortunately I keep forgetting that I have them here. You know how it is when you start to feel that queasy feeling–you just want it gone and you want it gone now. I end up taking my gravol or bonamine or metaclopramide instead. And then the next time I pass my hallway table I see the package of pressure bands sitting there and kick myself.
So, I can say that yes they definitely have worked for me to stop motion sickness, but I haven’t yet tested them on my other bouts of nausea. But like you I am curious. I’m actually glad you posted about this because it reminds me I should put these in my bag–lately being in a moving vehicle even for a short time is starting to trigger at least nausea and often lately a migraine, and I should try using these when I’m on the train etc. and see if they help. Thx.
If I have any success I’ll let you know 😉