"Relief Band" motion sickness remedy: really works, placebo, or woo?

In My Humble Opinion
1

12 years ago when I was learning to fly, I bought and used a device called a “Relief Band”. It is a wristwatch-like device that gives periodic small electric shocks to your inside wrist, and this is supposed to “disrupt” any motion sickness that you may be developing.

Back then, it did kinda-sorta seem to work. But did it really work or work by placebo-effect? So does this thing actually work with evidence to back it up, or is it woo?

The Power Balance bands fiasco have given wrist-worn devices a bad name. Was I fooling myself before? I ask because I may be going whale watching in a while and I’m thinking of digging the Relief Band out to use on the trip.

Thanks,
J.

2

Anybody?

(my one bump…)

J.

3

From UpToDate.com, a pay medical website:

62: P6 acupressure reduces symptoms of vection-induced motion sickness - PubMed
63: Acupressure relieves the symptoms of motion sickness and reduces abnormal gastric activity - PubMed
64: Korean hand acupressure for motion sickness in prehospital trauma care: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial in a geriatric population - PubMed

65: Acupressure and motion sickness - PubMed
66: A double-blind placebo controlled evaluation of acupressure in the treatment of motion sickness - PubMed
67: Efficacy of acupressure and acustimulation bands for the prevention of motion sickness - PubMed

43: UpToDate

Never say I never did nuthin’ fer ya! :wink:

4

The pressure bands seem to work for me, or applying pressure with my fingertips, so I’m either in the “works for some” category that QtM is citing or placeborrific and I’m fine either way. :smiley:

5

Oops! 43 ought to be: Airsickness prevention in helicopter passengers - PubMed