Efficacy of a portable acustimulation device in controlling seasickness.

BACKGROUND

Nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness are serious and sometimes debilitating symptoms for commercial and recreational seafarers.

HYPOTHESIS

In order to treat these symptoms, a portable device, the Relief Band, was designed to deliver acustimulation to the Neiguan (P6) acupuncture point.

METHOD

Nine volunteers used the device on a placebo point or the P6 active point on the open seas outside the San Francisco Bay. Motion sickness symptoms were graded from 1 ("feel fine") to 5 ("intermittent vomiting, with or without nausea").

RESULTS

Five subjects with motion sickness initially positioned the device at the placebo site and reported minimal symptom improvement (3.6 +/- 0.6 to 3.4 +/- 1.1) (mean, +/- SD), whereas the other four subjects initially used the device in the P6 position and reported decreased symptoms (4.3 +/- 1.0 to 1.0 +/- 0.2). The position of the Relief Band was then switched; in the four subjects who switched to the placebo position, symptoms worsened (1.0 +/- 0.2 to 4.0 +/- 1.4); whereas, in the five subjects where the device was switched to the P6 position, symptoms improved in each subject (3.4 +/- 1.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.7) (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Motion sickness symptoms were suppressed by portable acustimulation in field studies of seasickness. The Relief Band may be an alternative to drug treatments of the nausea and vomiting of seasickness.