Nausea is an adverse side effect that afflicts more than 75 percent of all cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy. Along with vomiting, this nausea can severely impact a patient’s daily quality of life by hindering the ability to eat and feel healthy. In many cases, doctors may recommend medications as a way to minimize nausea.
However, an effective non-drug nausea treatment may be as simple as slipping a pair of acupuncture bands onto the wrists. These bands, known as BioBands, have been proven to reduce nausea felt during travel sickness by applying pressure to the Nei Kuan pressure point located on the underside of each wrist. According to Carl Nicholson, a spokesperson for BioBands, several studies have also been conducted which show “that BioBands are an effective, natural remedy for chemotherapy nausea.”
To validate these claims, the University of Liverpool plans to initiate the largest study pertaining to the effectiveness BioBands as a treatment option for chemotherapy-induced nausea. The study will include more than 700 participants at nine NHS cancer centers. Participants will include a varying group of cancer patients from all walks of life who suffer from differing types of cancers. The goal is to determine which patient groups are most receptive to the non-drug therapy.
The new study is the first BioBands-related trial initiated by the NHS. Additional funding is provided by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program. The University of Manchester, Salford University and the University of Plymouth will aid in the research process.
Until the research is complete, current cancer patients can safely try BioBands as a home remedy for chemotherapy-induced nausea. For more information or to purchase BioBands, please visit the company’s official website: http://www.biobands.com/.
Resources:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/news/press_releases/2009/03/chemotherapy-related-nausea.htm