Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 235
The purpose of this study was to examine whether acupressure and acustimulation prevent motion sickness. The Acuband and ReliefBand were used to administer acupressure and acustimulation, respectively. There were 77 subjects, who were assigned to one of five conditions: Acuband trained or untrained; ReliefBand trained or untrained; or placebo. Subjects were exposed to a 20-min baseline and a maximum of 20 min of optokinetic drum rotation. Untrained subjects read the device directions, used it as they deemed appropriate and completed a usability analysis following drum exposure. Trained subjects read the device directions and were trained to use the device appropriately prior to drum exposure. Symptoms and gastric myoelectric activity were monitored during baseline and rotation. In all conditions, symptoms of motion sickness and gastric tachyarrhythmia increased and 3 cpm gastric myoelectric activity decreased during drum exposure. The only difference found between conditions was a potential delay in symptom onset for the ReliefBand compared with the Acuband.