Sensory conflict
Your eyes, inner ear, muscles and joints each report on movement. When they disagree, as when you read in a moving car, nausea can follow.
Motion Sickness Relief in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Car rides, flights or a day on the water leave you queasy and drained. We find what sets it off, test how your eyes and balance handle motion, and train your tolerance in small steps.
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- Care coordinated with your physician
The short answer
Motion sickness is nausea, dizziness and sweating that start when your eyes, inner ear and body disagree about movement. At True Performance in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, we look at what triggers your symptoms and test balance and visual tolerance. Then we use DynaVision cognitive training and GyroStim motion training, raised only as fast as your symptoms allow.
Overview
Why do I get sick on every trip?
For some people, discomfort starts within minutes of pulling away from the curb. A winding road, a bumpy flight or a morning on the water can end with nausea, a cold sweat and a wasted afternoon.
After enough bad trips, the worry starts before you even leave. Plans get skipped, and travel becomes something to survive.
What can training change?
Travel guidance calls gradual, repeated exposure the most effective long-term defense against motion sickness. It works, but it is slow to build on your own.
We make that process measured. Your exam shows which visual and motion demands bother you most, and DynaVision visual training for motion triggers lets us raise them in small steps.
Understanding
What is motion sickness?
Motion sickness is the body's reaction to a mismatch between what your eyes, inner ear and body sense about movement. It causes nausea, dizziness, sweating and fatigue, usually during travel. Some people are far more sensitive than others, including people with migraine or vestibular problems.
What is actually happening
Your inner ear senses the turns and speed changes of the trip.
Your eyes, fixed on a page or screen, report that nothing is moving.
The brain reads the conflict as a threat and triggers nausea.
Who this usually affects
- Children between 7 and 12, when sensitivity peaks
- Women, who are more sensitive than men
- People with migraine, vertigo or other vestibular problems
- Frequent travelers, gamers and virtual reality users
When it is something else
- Dizziness that starts with no motion at all
- Dizziness with hearing changes or other nerve symptoms
- A rocking feeling that lasts for days after a trip
The re-check
We re-test your visual tolerance and symptom levels as you go. If they stop improving, we change the plan or tell you plainly that training is not the right tool.
Can you train your way out of motion sickness?
For many people, yes, with patience. Repeated, gradual exposure teaches the brain to expect the mismatch, a process called habituation.
Travel guidance rates habituation above current medicines once it is fully built. It is slow to build, so steady, measured practice matters more than long sessions.
Why does reading in the car make it worse?
Your eyes lock onto a still page while your inner ear feels every curve and stop. That is the classic mismatch. Looking at the horizon lets your eyes and inner ear agree again.
Symptoms
Symptoms of motion sickness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Cold sweat or clammy skin
- Pale skin
- Extra saliva
- Headache
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble concentrating during travel
Causes
Common causes
Car, plane and boat travel
Curving roads, turbulence, waves and a limited view of the horizon provoke symptoms. Looking down at a phone often makes them stronger.
Screens, simulators and virtual reality
Gaming, flight simulators, large moving displays and VR headsets can cause motion sickness with no real movement at all.
Personal sensitivity
Age, sex and a history of migraine or vestibular problems all raise the odds. That is why two people on the same trip can feel so different.
Our approach
How our care works
Our motion sickness training finds the situations that set it off, then builds visual focus and tolerance in small, measured steps. Care combines DynaVision cognitive training with GyroStim motion training, and lighting, speed and screen time rise only as fast as your symptoms allow.
Rancho Santa Fe only
Cognitive training with DynaVision
Light-board and screen-based tasks train visual scanning, shifts in focus, reaction time and divided attention. Screens and long visual tasks can set off symptoms, so we start short and dim, then add light, speed and complexity as your tolerance grows. Recorded scores show when to push and when to hold. See DynaVision light-board and screen tasks.
Rancho Santa Fe only
GyroStim motion training
GyroStim is a computer-controlled chair that turns you through measured rotations while you aim at lit targets. Runs start below the speed that sets off your symptoms. Its FDA clearance covers balance disorders and vestibular dysfunction, and it is offered in Rancho Santa Fe only. Learn about GyroStim runs paced below your symptom threshold.
Red flags
When to seek care
Motion sickness usually settles once the motion stops. Some symptoms need medical attention.
- Vomiting that keeps going after the trip ends
- Signs of dehydration, such as extreme thirst or very little urine
- Fainting
- Dizziness that starts without any motion
- Dizziness with weakness, slurred speech or a sudden severe headache
Call 911 for dizziness with weakness, slurred speech or a sudden severe headache; for repeated vomiting or fainting, get medical care promptly.
Your clinician
Who plans your care
Your care is planned by Dr. Jeff McWhorter, D.C., a chiropractor whose practice focuses on functional neurology, concussion rehabilitation, and performance. His background includes balance and sensory training.
He looks at when your symptoms start, which seats and screens make them worse and how fast you recover. That pattern decides where training begins and how quickly it moves.
Visit
Getting here
Our office is at 18029 Calle Ambiente, Suite 507, in Cielo Village, Rancho Santa Fe, about two miles from Lake Hodges. Patients come from across North County San Diego, and some travel much farther; see how out-of-town patients plan their visits.
The first step
Schedule Your Motion Sickness Evaluation
- 01Start with a complimentary 15-minute intro call
- 02Your first visit takes about 90 minutes, plus data and history gathering
- 03We coordinate with your physician
How can I stop motion sickness once it starts?
Put down the phone or book and look at the horizon or another fixed point. Keep your head still, move to a steadier seat if you can, and rest once the motion stops.
How can I prevent motion sickness before a trip?
Pick a seat with less movement and a clear view ahead, such as the front seat of a car. Avoid reading and screens, limit head movement and start the trip well rested.
Do motion sickness medicines work?
Several medicines can help, and some cause drowsiness. Ask your physician or pharmacist which one fits you, especially for children or if you take other medicines.
Is motion sickness the same as vertigo?
No. Motion sickness comes from real or on-screen movement and fades when it stops. Spinning episodes that come on without motion point to vertigo, which needs its own workup.
How long does motion sickness last?
Symptoms usually ease soon after the motion ends, though headache or fatigue can linger. Dizziness that continues well after travel should be checked by your physician.
Does insurance cover motion sickness care here?
We explain cost and payment options on your intro call, before you book an exam. The total depends on your exam and how many sessions your plan needs.
Make the next trip easier on your body
Start with a complimentary 15-minute call with our team.