How Acupressure Can Help Relieve Virtual Reality Sickness

Matt Bucklin
3 min readNov 9, 2023

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Virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly growing technology, but one of its biggest drawbacks is that it can cause motion sickness that essential all users will experience at some point. VR headsets create the illusion of movement, even when the user is physically standing still, which leads to a conflict between the user’s inner ear and visual system and causes nausea and other symptoms of motion sickness.

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body. It is believed that these pressure points are connected to internal organs and systems, and that stimulating them can help to improve health and well-being.

One of the most common acupressure points for relieving motion sickness is the P6 point, also known as Neiguan. This point is located on the inner forearm, about three finger-widths below the wrist crease.

To apply acupressure to the P6 point, place your thumb on the point and press down firmly with a circular motion. You should feel a mild pressure or soreness. Continue pressing for 1–2 minutes, or until the nausea begins to subside.

You can apply acupressure to the P6 point as often as needed, and it is safe to do while using a VR headset to help relieve VR sickness.

There is some scientific evidence to support the use of acupressure for relieving motion sickness. For example, a study published in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine found that acupressure was effective at reducing nausea and vomiting in people with motion sickness.

Another study, published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, found that acupressure was effective at reducing nausea and vomiting in people with VR sickness.

In addition to acupressure, there are a number of other things that you can do to reduce your risk of experiencing VR sickness, such as:

  • Start with short VR sessions and gradually increase the duration as you become more tolerant.
  • Take breaks every 20–30 minutes to rest your eyes and inner ear.
  • Avoid using VR while you are tired or hungry.
  • Use a fan to circulate air around your face while you are using VR.
  • Focus on a fixed point in the VR environment to help reduce the feeling of disorientation.

If you do experience VR sickness, stop using the VR headset immediately and take a break. If the nausea is severe, you may want to take an over-the-counter anti-nausea medication.

The Sense Relief app is an Apple Watch app that uses acupressure to relieve VR sickness. The app uses the Apple Watch’s Taptic Engine to apply pressure to the P6 acupressure point.

The Sense Relief app has an auto mode that will continue to apply acupressure when needed. This is especially helpful for people who are prone to VR sickness, as it allows them to focus on enjoying their VR experience without having to worry about applying acupressure themselves.

Overall, acupressure is a safe and effective way to relieve VR sickness. It is a non-invasive and drug-free treatment that can be used as needed, even while using a VR headset. The Sense Relief app is a convenient way to apply acupressure to the P6 acupressure point, and it is especially helpful for people who are prone to VR sickness.

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Matt Bucklin
Matt Bucklin

Written by Matt Bucklin

President Credible. Principal Valley Cove Capital. Founder & CEO The Quit Company, Co-Founder Sense Relief, MBA Yale School of Management, BA Colby College.

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