Relief Band

Millions of people worldwide suffer from nausea for a variety of reasons. One common cause is motion sickness, which can strike sufferers when they are riding on a boat, in an airplane, or even in the family car. Some skiers even are susceptible to motion sickness. And nausea in the form of “morning sickness” is a frequent part of pregnancy for many women. There are all sorts of treatments, including prescription and over the counter medications, but one company has a new product that uses electricity to treat the symptoms.

ReliefBand is a battery-powered device that you wear on the underside of your wrist. Electrodes deliver a pattern of electrical pulses that send a signal to your brain, which in turns blocks the nausea sensations. The wearer feels a mild tingling in the palm and middle finger; the level of stimulation can be adjusted among five different levels. The device runs on a replaceable battery.

The consumer version is similar to models that have been in use for years in clinical settings, where they are worn by patients undergoing chemotherapy or by post-operative surgery patients. These devices have been shown to not only make many patients more comfortable, but also have eliminate the cost of anti-nausea medication and of treating secondary effects resulting from nausea and vomiting such as dehydration and lack of nutrition.