Nausea can be an unpleasant experience that can occur due to several reasons such as medication, motion sickness, pregnancy, anxiety, and migraine.

While there are various remedies and medications available in the market to address nausea, a new study has recently discovered that electrotherapy could alleviate its symptoms.

What is Electrotherapy?

Electrotherapy is a medical treatment that uses electrical impulses to stimulate certain nerves and muscles in the body.

The electrical stimulation can be applied in various ways, such as through the skin using electrodes, through the brain using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and through the ear using Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS).

The study

The study, which was conducted by researchers from Flinders University in Australia, aimed to investigate the effects of tVNS on nausea. The study involved 33 participants, aged between 18 to 37 years old, who experienced motion sickness-induced nausea.

The participants were randomly assigned into two groups, where one group received active tVNS treatment, and the other group received sham tVNS treatment.

The active tVNS treatment involved sending low-level electrical impulses to the patients’ ear lobes using a small handheld device. Meanwhile, the sham tVNS treatment involved using a similar-looking device that produced no electrical impulses.

The participants were asked to rate their nausea level from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most severe, before and after the treatment. They were also monitored for any side effects or adverse events during the study period.

The results

After the treatment, the study found that the participants who received active tVNS reported a significant reduction in their nausea level, with an average decrease of 29%.

In contrast, the participants who received sham tVNS reported a slight decrease in their nausea level, with an average decrease of 6%. Furthermore, no adverse events or side effects were reported throughout the study period.

The study’s lead author, Dr.

Jenna Todd, explained that the electrical impulses used in tVNS could help stimulate the vagus nerve, a nerve that runs from the brainstem to the abdomen that is responsible for several bodily functions, including digestion, heart rate, and breathing. By stimulating the vagus nerve, tVNS could help regulate these bodily functions and reduce nausea symptoms.

Limitations of the study

While the study’s findings are promising, the study has several limitations that need to be considered. Firstly, the study’s sample size was relatively small, making it difficult to generalize the findings to a wider population.

Secondly, the study only involved participants who experienced motion sickness-induced nausea, which means that the findings may not be applicable to other types of nausea. Finally, the study only investigated the effects of tVNS on nausea immediately after treatment and did not examine its long-term effects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, electrotherapy, such as tVNS, could be a promising therapeutic option in alleviating nausea symptoms. However, further research is needed to determine its effectiveness in different types of nausea and its long-term effects.

Nevertheless, the study’s findings provide new insights and possibilities for treating nausea, especially for those who cannot tolerate or prefer non-medical alternatives.