Acupressure Can Spell Relief

Re “As the Stomach Turns” (Nov. 22): No list of homespun nausea remedies would be complete without one I have found helpful in management of uncomplicated nausea. This remedy involves acupressure.

There is a well-known acupoint on the inside of the wrist, about one inch above the wrist crease, in a depression between the bones of the forearm.

This point has actually been medically proven to be effective for nausea in a variety of situations when stimulated with an acupuncture needle. I have found it useful as a point for acupressure stimulation for nausea.

I tell my patients to rub this point forcefully with their opposite thumb, then, when they get tired, switch to the other wrist. Stimulation of these points for about five minutes, and repeating whenever necessary, can provide welcome relief of nausea.

I have personally used it successfully for seasickness, or for that queasy feeling when on a bumpy flight. It is effective in many cases of nausea in the early stages of pregnancy. Wristbands designed to stimulate this point are available for air and sea travelers; however, I feel that manual stimulation of the points is more effective.

DAVID L. DIEHL, M.D.

Los Angeles

Diehl is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, UCLA School of Medicine.