Acupressure Wristbands (Sea-Band and Similar) for Nausea: What Research Shows

What acupressure wristbands such as Sea-Band are, and what a Cochrane review and trials found for nausea after surgery, in pregnancy and with chemotherapy, plus limits and when to seek care.

Content last updated October 22, 2026. This page has not been medically reviewed.

What an acupressure wristband is

An acupressure wristband is a soft elastic band with a small plastic button that sits on the inner forearm, just above the wrist crease. In one study, the authors describe such a band as applying pressure at the point called pericardium 6 (PC6, also called Neiguan), and say the Sea-Band product they used is a class II FDA-cleared device for nausea. [1] That is the authors' description, and this page does not rank or recommend products. Many brands exist. For the point itself, see Pericardium 6 (Neiguan).

How it is explained

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, PC6 is named as a point on the pericardium channel. That is a traditional framework, not an established mechanism. Trials do not test it. They test whether a band with a button, compared with a band without one, a no-band group or medicine, changes nausea. For the wider topic, see acupressure.

What research shows

Use	What the source found	Strength of evidence
Nausea and vomiting after surgery	A 2025 Cochrane network meta-analysis (77 trials, 9,847 people) found that non-invasive PC6 stimulation, such as wristbands, may reduce nausea (RR 0.67) and vomiting (RR 0.58) compared with sham, with low confidence. [2]	Promising but limited
Nausea in early pregnancy	The NHS says there is some evidence that pressure on the wrist, using a special band or the fingers, may relieve symptoms. [3] A Cochrane review found limited evidence for P6 acupressure. [4] A 74-woman trial found lower scores with wristbands for one week, but without statistical significance, and the comparison group used no method at all. [5]	Promising but limited
Chemotherapy nausea	A review of 14 studies (10 trials and 4 reviews) judged P6 and ear acupressure an effective complementary therapy and asked for standard guidelines. [6]	Promising but limited
Nausea after a heart attack	In a trial of 90 patients, a band with a button lowered nausea compared with a placebo band without a button and with no band. [7] This is one trial in one setting.	Insufficient evidence
Nausea from GLP-1 weight-loss or diabetes medicines	One open-label study of 31 adults had no comparison group, and its authors called it "not a controlled trial". [1]	Insufficient evidence
Stomach discomfort in children	A pilot of 33 children aged 7 to 17 found symptoms improved by 40% with wristbands and 35% with placebo wristbands. [8] The difference is small and the study tiny.	Insufficient evidence
Motion sickness	Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for wristband and acupressure trials and found no review we could read.	Insufficient evidence

Wristbands compared with medicine

The older Cochrane review of PC6 stimulation after surgery (59 trials) found no difference between PC6 stimulation and antiemetic drugs for nausea or vomiting, rated moderate quality. It pooled needles, electrical devices and acupressure together, so it does not tell us how a band alone compares. [9] Do not swap a prescribed anti-sickness medicine for a band.

Practical points

Check the packaging for fitting and cleaning instructions. We do not rank brands or give prices.

Frequently asked questions

Do Sea-Bands work?

For nausea after surgery, non-needle PC6 stimulation may reduce nausea compared with sham, with low confidence. Results in pregnancy are mixed and limited. [2][4]

Are acupressure wristbands safe in pregnancy?

The NHS lists them as something to try for morning sickness. [3] Cochrane reviewers noted little information on harms in pregnancy studies. [4] Check with your midwife or doctor.

Where do I wear the band?

Bands are made to sit on the inner forearm over the PC6 point, just above the wrist crease. [1] Follow the product's own instructions.

Can a wristband replace anti-sickness medicine?

No. One Cochrane review found no difference from drugs but pooled several techniques, and you should not change prescribed treatment on your own. [9]

Do wristbands help motion sickness or medicine-related nausea?

Proper evidence not found for motion sickness in the sources we read. A small uncontrolled study looked at GLP-1 medicine nausea. [1]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How to read these results

Nausea is a feeling that expectation can change. A placebo band helps trials guard against that, and the heart-attack and children's studies used one. In the children's trial, the placebo band group also improved. [8] Studies with no comparison group, such as the open-label one, cannot show that the band caused any relief.

Safety

Side effects in the Cochrane reviews were minor and went away, such as skin irritation, redness and swelling, and no serious or long-term complications were reported, though the evidence on side effects was very uncertain. [2] If a band is too tight, hurts or irritates your skin, take it off. Follow the instructions that come with the band. We did not find a source giving a pressure amount or wearing time for general use, so we do not give one.

Who should check first

Pregnancy: bands are one thing the NHS lists for morning sickness, but tell your midwife or doctor. Call them if you are vomiting and cannot keep food or fluids down for 24 hours, have very dark urine or have not passed urine in over 8 hours, or feel very weak, dizzy or faint. [3]
Nausea after surgery, with chemotherapy or with a new medicine: tell your care team before relying on a band.
Nausea that is new, severe or lasting: it needs a clinician, not only a band. In the U.S., call 911 in an emergency.

References

Ziemke F, et al. Antiemetic effect of acupressure wristbands for GLP-1 medication associated nausea. Obes Pillars. 2025;15:100178. PubMed 40487675. Read 2026-10-22.
Lee A, et al. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting: a network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;9:CD003281. PubMed 40938065. Read 2026-10-22.
NHS. Vomiting and morning sickness. Page last reviewed 17 April 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
Matthews A, et al. Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(9):CD007575. PubMed 26348534. Read 2026-10-22.
Yilmaz MP, et al. Effect of Acupressure at PC6 on Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy: a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2023;16(3):89-94. PubMed 37381030. Read 2026-10-22.
Alhusamiah B, et al. The Effectiveness of P6 and Auricular Acupressure as a Complimentary Therapy in Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting Among Patients With Cancer: Systematic Review. Integr Cancer Ther. 2024;23. PubMed 38488197. Read 2026-10-22.
Afshar S, et al. The impact of using p6 acupressure on the nausea, vomiting, and comfort of myocardial infarction patients: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2023;36:101238. PubMed 38144876. Read 2026-10-22.
Legeret C, et al. The effect of anti-nausea wristbands and STW-5 in children suffering from dyspepsia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot-study. Klin Padiatr. 2026;238(5):272-279. PubMed 40840497. Read 2026-10-22.
Lee A, et al. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(11):CD003281. PubMed 26522652. Read 2026-10-22.

Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.