Can Balance Predict Motion Sickness?  - Scorecard - MDSpire

Can Balance Predict Motion Sickness? 

Review finds postural instability often precedes symptoms, but evidence is mixed on causality 

  • By

  • Henry Thomas

  • January 15, 2026

  • 2 min

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Clinical Scorecard: Can Balance Predict Motion Sickness?

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionMotion Sickness
Key MechanismsPostural instability may precede motion sickness but lacks definitive cause-and-effect evidence.
Target PopulationIndividuals aged 9 to 63 years
Care SettingClinical and research settings

Key Highlights

  • Postural instability often occurs before motion sickness onset.
  • Evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship is currently inadequate.
  • Variations in symptom presentation and measurement tools limit comparability.
  • Multiple contexts of motion sickness were analyzed, including car sickness and cybersickness.
  • Future studies should focus on balance-based interventions and multimodal assessments.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • Utilize symptom questionnaires like the Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire.

Management

  • Conduct randomized controlled trials of balance-based interventions.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Measure postural control using force platforms or balance boards.

Risks

  • Inconsistent relationships between postural measures and symptom development.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Participants in studies aged 9 to 63 years.

Balance-based interventions are recommended for future research.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Integrate vestibular, visual, and postural measurements in studies.
  • Conduct extensive, multicenter, randomized controlled studies.

References

Original Source(s)

Can Balance Predict Motion Sickness? 

  • by Henry Thomas

  • January 15, 2026

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