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Motion Sickness

How Chinese medicine differentiates motion sickness, the four patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Acupuncture can be a useful complementary approach alongside standard advice for reducing motion sickness.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for motion sickness — 10 key points, used across most of the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness throughout the body.
P-6Opens the chest, moves Qi and Blood, calms Stomach and stops vomiting.
Ren-12Harmonizes Stomach-Qi, resolves Dampness and Phlegm.
HE-7Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices. Nourishes Heart-Blood.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness, opens the Water passages.
BL-23Tonifies the Kidneys, nourishes Kidney-Essence and Kidney-Yin.
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), strengthens Essence.
Du-20Raises Yang. Lifts the Mind. Benefits the Brain.
The Four Patterns

reinforcing   reducing   even method — technique below follows standard Excess/Deficiency treatment principle for each pattern, not tied to a specific point-by-point source.

1. Phlegm-Dampness in the Middle-Burner

Clinical manifestations: Dizziness with a heavy, foggy sensation in the head; nausea and queasiness that is worse with movement; a feeling of fullness and oppression in the chest and upper abdomen; heaviness in the limbs; poor appetite with a bland taste; brought on by a diet heavy in greasy or sweet food, a sedentary lifestyle, or chronic Spleen weakness feeding Phlegm production; eased by warm, plainly-cooked food and staying active.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, scalloped edges, thick white greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, often Soggy or Moderate.
Treatment principle: Dry Dampness, transform Phlegm, extinguish Wind, calm the Liver, strengthen the Spleen to stop dizziness.
Transform Phlegm-Dampness
Support, antiemetic
Note: moxa applicable on the Transform-Phlegm points. No deck slide anywhere on this site has a standalone "Phlegm-Dampness" pattern, so no pattern link is given here.

2. Heart and Spleen Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dizziness triggered by even gentle motion; palpitations; fatigue and a lack of energy; a pale complexion; poor appetite with bloating; difficulty falling asleep; a lack of taste; brought on by chronic overthinking, long-term stress, or a long illness depleting Heart and Spleen; eased by rest, a calm routine, and nourishing food.
Tongue: Pale, tender, tooth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, Weak, possibly Choppy.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Blood to strengthen both organs, anchoring the spirit and stabilizing the brain.
Note: moxa applicable on the tonify points.

3. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness

Clinical manifestations: A heavy, muzzy head, "as if wrapped"; nausea and queasiness, especially with motion; loose stools or watery diarrhoea; abdominal bloating after eating; fatigue and heaviness in the limbs; poor appetite lacking taste; brought on by irregular meals, cold raw food and drinks, overthinking and worry, or damp weather; eased by warm cooked food and rest after meals.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, tooth-marked, white greasy coating, moist surface. Pulse: Soggy, Slow, soft and weak at the right Guan position.
Treatment principle: Strengthen the Spleen, drain Dampness, tonify Qi to resolve the constitutional weakness allowing internal moisture accumulation.
Tonify Spleen
Drain Dampness
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Spleen points. No deck slide combines a deficiency presentation with these Dampness signs into one pattern, so no pattern link is given here.

4. Kidney-Essence Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Chronic dizziness that worsens with motion; soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees; tinnitus or gradual hearing loss; poor memory and difficulty concentrating; premature greying or hair loss; frequent urination, especially at night; brought on by ageing, chronic overwork, or a long illness depleting Kidney-Essence; eased by rest and nourishing food.
Tongue: Pale, thin, little or no coating, possible fine cracks. Pulse: Fine, Deep, Weak, especially at both Chi positions.
Treatment principle: Nourish Kidney-Essence and fill the marrow to stabilize the brain, reducing susceptibility to motion-triggered vertigo.
Note: moxa applicable on the tonify points.
Related conditions

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