P6 ACUPRESSURE REDUCES SYMPTOMS OF VECTION-INDUCED MOTION SICKNESS

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of P6 acupressure on nausea associated with visually-induced motion sickn ess. Method: There were 64 subjects randomly divided into 4 groups: P6 acupressure, dummy-point acupressure, sham P6 acupressure, and contro l. Each subject sat in an optokinetic drum for a 12-min baseline and 1 a-min drum rotation period. Subjects' electrogastrograms (EGG's) and subjective symptoms of motion sickness were obtained. Results: The res ults indicated that the subjects in the P6 acupressure group reported significantly less nausea [F(3,60) = 8.16, p < 0.0001] during drum rot ation period than those in the dummy-point acupressure, sham acupressu re, and control groups. The scores for symptoms of motion sickness of the P6 acupressure group were significantly lower than those in the sh am acupressure and control groups [F(3,60) = 3.49, p < 0.02]. Also, th e subjects in the P6 acupressure group showed significantly less abnor mal gastric myoelectric activity, tachyarrhythmia, than those in the s ham acupressure and control groups [F(3,60) = 2.78, p < 0.04]. However , the subjects in the dummy-point acupressure group did not report sig nificantly fewer symptoms and show less tachyarrhythmia than those in the sham acupressure and control groups. Conclusion: We conclude that P6 acupressure reduces the severity of symptoms of visually-induced mo tion sickness and gastric tachyarrhythmia.