Medical Encyclopedia: Nausea and acupressure (Print Version)

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Medical Encyclopedia: Nausea and acupressure

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002117.htm

Alternative names

Acupressure and nausea

Information

Question:

Can nausea be cured by pressing a spot on your arm?

Answer:

Sometimes mild nausea, even morning sickness, may improve by using your middle and index fingers to press firmly down on the groove between the two large tendons on the inside of your wrist that start at the base of your palm.

Special wristbands to help relieve nausea are sold over the counter at many stores. When the band is worn around the wrist, it presses upon the same or similar pressure points just described. The bands are not expensive and are reported to work for at least some people

Also, acupuncture (using needles) is often used for nausea or vomiting related to chemotherapy for cancer.

Update Date: 12/14/2007

Updated by: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Also reviewed by Stephen Grund, M.D. Ph.D., Chief of Hematology/Oncology and Director of the George Bray Cancer Center at New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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