Acupressure for Nausea

Nausea can range from mild queasiness to serious distress. While not classified as a disease itself, it is an indicator that something else is wrong.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer some simple acupressure techniques and exercises you can perform at home to help alleviate nausea.

The first exercise involves the acupuncture point called Pericardium 6 (P6), or Inner Gate. To locate this point, place your hand with the palm facing up. Starting from the middle of the wrist crease, place three fingers down below your wrist. Your index finger should be in the middle of two tendons.
If you are having trouble locating the tendons, flex your wrist and they should be displayed more prominently. Press Inner Gate lightly with the pad of your thumb. You can slowly increase pressure and go deeper into the point. Continue this exercise for up to five minutes if you are using heavy pressure.

Some people experience more relief from nausea when they continuously press with gentle to moderate pressure. If this is the case for you, it is safe to apply acupressure for longer periods of time.

If nausea still persists after applying acupressure at Inner Gate, you can activate its partner point, called Outer Gate or San Jiao 5 (SJ5). It is found on the opposite side of the forearm from Inner Gate.

With your thumb on Inner Gate and your middle finger on Outer Gate, complete the circuit by squeezing the points together using moderate pressure. Hold for a few seconds and then release. This can be done for up to five minutes.

If a little extra self-care is needed, place your hands near your heart, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.

The next acupressure exercise covers a larger area, and is less exact than the Inner Gate and Outer Gate. To find it, first put your hands on your hips at the level of your waistline. Next, adjust your fingers so they are all below your ribs, with your pinky resting around the level of your belly button. Your fingers should be lined up with the nipples.

Once you find the right position, press into the abdomen using circular motions and gradually expand your motions outwards for another couple of inches. This technique can be quite soothing and is best when performed sitting down, for two to three minutes.

Another super quick exercise is tapping your inner wrists together nine times.

Depending on the severity and duration of vomiting, dehydration is likely to occur. In severe cases, this may become a medical emergency; small sips of warm water may help the patient stay hydrated or, if this is not tolerable, sucking on ice chips may help.

More than 95 million Americans suffer from digestive disorders ranging from constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome to more serious conditions such as acid reflux (GERD), ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. In fact, more than 35 million physician office visits a year are due to gastrointestinal complaints.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can offer relief from even the most complex digestive problems.