By Marcello Cherchi, MD PhD
For patients
If you have motion sickness and cannot take medications for it (or medications do not work), then a physical therapist may teach you “motion desensitization” exercises.
For clinicians
Overview
Motion desensitization is a series of habituation exercises intended to make a person less susceptible to motion sickness.
Introduction
Motion desensitization is a non-pharmacologic treatment approach for motion sickness (also called constitutional motion sensitivity).
Mechanism
Motion desensitization is though to work on the principle of habituation (Bles et al. 2000), but the underlying neuroanatomy is uncertain.
Adverse effects
Motion desensitization entails repeated exposure to motion stimuli that provoke motion sickness, and thus is uncomfortable, at least initially.
Relevance in otoneurology
Motion desensitization is a non-pharmacologic treatment approach for motion sickness.
Motion desensitization has been studied and utilized by militaries for managing motion sickness in air force pilots (Bagshaw and Stott 1985; Banks et al. 1992; Lucertini and Lugli 2004), reportedly with some success (Cheung and Hofer 2005; Lucertini et al. 2013). Pilots are generally prohibited from using the centrally-acting medications that would otherwise sometimes be used for managing motion sickness.
One protocol developed by Dr. Samuel Puma (Puma and Puma 2007) has been used in the United States Air Force and is also available commercially. In our experience this has been effective, but it is a fairly arduous program, and the only successful patients we have seen are those in military service.
Less arduous motion desensitization protocols are sometimes offered by vestibular physical therapists.
References
Bagshaw M, Stott JR (1985) The desensitisation of chronically motion sick aircrew in the Royal Air Force. Aviat Space Environ Med 56: 1144-51.
Banks RD, Salisbury DA, Ceresia PJ (1992) The Canadian Forces Airsickness Rehabilitation Program, 1981-1991. Aviat Space Environ Med 63: 1098-101.
Bles W, Bos JE, Kruit H (2000) Motion sickness. Curr Opin Neurol 13: 19-25. doi: 10.1097/00019052-200002000-00005
Cheung B, Hofer K (2005) Desensitization to strong vestibular stimuli improves tolerance to simulated aircraft motion. Aviat Space Environ Med 76: 1099-104.
Lucertini M, Lugli V (2004) The Italian Air Force rehabilitation programme for air-sickness. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 24: 181-7.
Lucertini M, Verde P, Trivelloni P (2013) Rehabilitation from airsickness in military pilots: long-term treatment effectiveness. Aviat Space Environ Med 84: 1196-200. doi: 10.3357/asem.3509.2013
Puma SC, Puma SW (2007) Method for conditioning to prevent motion sickness. In: Office USPaT (ed), G16H 20/30 (20180101); A63B 23/00 (20130101); A63B 24/0075 (20130101) edn, vol 7,288,057, United States
