Method of alleviating motion sickness
The present invention provides a method of alleviating motion sickness in a patient during a predetermined event. The predetermined event commencing at a start time. The patient having a vestibular system. The method including determining the start time of the predetermined event. The method further including providing a stimulus to the vestibular system of the patient during a treatment, the treatment occurring a predetermined amount of time before the start time of the predetermined event and lasting a predetermined duration.
1. A method of alleviating motion sickness in a patient caused by a predetermined event, the predetermined event commencing at a start time, the patient having a vestibular system, the method comprising:
determining ( 110 ) the start time for the predetermined event; and
providing ( 140 ) a stimulus to the vestibular system of the patient during a treatment alleviate motion sickness caused by the predetermined event, the treatment beginning a predetermined amount of time before the start time of the predetermined event and lasting a predetermined duration.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining ( 120 ) a treatment schedule for the patient after determining ( 110 ) the start time for the predetermined event and prior to providing ( 140 ) a stimulus.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the stimulus comprises an electrical stimulation provided by an electrical nerve stimulation device.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the electrical stimulation comprises a sinusoidal wave current stimulation output.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the sinusoidal wave current stimulation output has a frequency at or about 0.50 Hz.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the sinusoidal wave current stimulation output has a peak output of between 0.1 and 1.0 milliamps.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of time is between one and seven days before the predetermined event.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the duration is about 30 minutes.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the treatment is a first treatment, the method further comprising:
providing a stimulus to the vestibular system of the patient during a number of subsequent treatments occurring after the first treatment, wherein each of the number of subsequent treatments occur a predetermined time before the start time of the predetermined event and each of the subsequent treatments last a predetermined second duration.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined event is an event selected from the group consisting of: riding in an automobile, riding on a boat and riding in a plane.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment begins before the patient feels symptoms of motion sickness.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treatment ends before the start time of predetermined event.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the stimulus to the vestibular system of the patient during the treatment induces a rocking sensation in the patient.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the rocking sensation causes symptoms of motion sickness in the patient.