Acupressure Can Prevent Anesthesia After-Effects

Nausea and vomiting are common reactions to anesthesia administered for surgery - up to 80 percent of all patients are affected. A new review of studies involving more than 4,800 patients suggests that acupressure or acupuncture works as well as anti-nausea and anti-vomiting medication to quell these unpleasant after-effects without the cost and side effects of drugs. The technique most frequently used in the 40 studies reviewed was the same type of acupressure wristbands sold to prevent seasickness, travel sickness, morning sickness and nausea related to chemotherapy. The review also showed that sham acupuncture worked 25 percent of the time. Anti-nausea acupuncture (or acupressure) works by simply stimulating a point on the wrist, which sends a signal to the brain to release neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine or endorphins to block other chemicals in the central nervous system that cause nausea and vomiting. Proper placement of the pressure is the key to wrist band effectiveness. The review was published in The Cochrane Library, issue 2, 2009.

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