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The nausea point is the one piece of acupuncture that has crossed over into the pharmacy aisle. The little elastic wristbands with a plastic stud are pressing on a point called Neiguan, PC6, and they are the reason I get asked about acupressure more than anything else.
Where the point is
Turn your palm up. Find the wrist crease. Measure three finger-widths up your forearm from that crease, using the width of your own fingers held together. The point sits right there, in the groove between the two tendons that stand up when you make a fist and flex your wrist. Press in with a thumb and you will feel a dull, slightly electric ache. That ache is how you know you are on it.
Both wrists have it. Use both.
When it helps
In clinic I use PC6 for nausea from motion, from anaesthesia, from chemotherapy and from early pregnancy. The research is mixed but not empty, and in my experience it is worth the two dollars and thirty seconds it costs to try. It works best when you press or wear the band before the nausea gets going. Putting a band on in the middle of a car journey when you already feel green is asking a lot of it.
My picks
Elastic acupressure wristbands, pairThe classic
A simple elastic band with a plastic stud. Cheap, washable, and the thing most of my patients already own. Buy the pair; you need both wrists.
- Nothing to charge or replace
- Works in the car, on a boat, in a hospital bed
- Fits under a sleeve
Adjustable acupressure band with a firmer studFor pregnancy or long trips
Adjustable straps hold the stud where you put it, which matters if you are wearing it for hours. Slightly more pressure than the elastic kind.
- Stays in place overnight
- Sized for larger or smaller wrists
- Firmer press for people who find the elastic bands too gentle
Small acupressure ring or stud toolIf you would rather use your thumb
You do not need a tool at all; a thumb works. But a small stud tool lets you press PC6 firmly through a sleeve on a plane without anyone noticing.
- Fits in a pocket
- Useful for other points on this site too
- No band to lose
How to press it without a band
Thumb on the point, firm pressure, small slow circles for about a minute. Breathe out slowly. Swap wrists. Repeat as often as you like. This is safe to do in a moving car as a passenger, and it gives a queasy child something to do with their hands.
The honest summary
PC6 is real, cheap and low-risk. Get the point in the right place, press or wear the band before you feel sick rather than after, and use both wrists. It will not cure a stomach bug, but for motion and morning nausea it is the first thing I reach for.
Also worth having on the road
Three small things I suggest alongside the bands, for the trip where nausea is the whole problem.
Child-size acupressure wristbandsFor a queasy child
Adult bands slide around on a small wrist and the stud ends up nowhere near the point. The child sizes hold it in place. Put them on before the car starts, not after the first complaint from the back seat.
- Stud stays on PC6 on a small wrist
- Nothing to swallow
- Gives a child something to press themselves
Please read: Check the stud position on a child the same way as on yourself: three of their finger-widths up from the crease, between the tendons.
Peppermint aromatherapy inhaler stickThe other sense
A sealed inhaler tube you sniff, nothing to swallow or spill. Some of my patients find a sharp peppermint smell steadies a queasy stomach on a boat or a plane. Use it with the band, not instead of it.
- Pocket-sized and sealed for travel
- Not ingested
- Pairs with the wristband
Please read: Keep it away from very young children's faces. If you are pregnant, mention it to your midwife or obstetrician along with the bands.
Cooling towelFor the clammy stage
The hot, clammy phase of motion sickness responds to a cool cloth on the back of the neck. A cooling towel wrung out in any water does that in a car, and gives a nauseated passenger something to do.
- Works with a bottle of water and a window
- Cool on the back of the neck settles the clammy phase
- Dries fast and packs flat
Content on this site is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your own healthcare provider before starting any new therapy, especially if you are pregnant, have a medical condition or take medication.