Krebs’s method is carried out by simultaneously pressing two pressure points on the left side of the body for one minute, then repeating on the right. In January 2018, Uplift launched a mobile app to teach others how to perform the acupressure on themselves.

The app includes instructional videos and a timer. After inputting your travel itinerary, the app uses an algorithm to calculate two pressure points to use once you land. There are more than 120 combinations using 12 points on each side of the body.

Jet lag occurs when your body’s natural circadian rhythm is out of sync with the time of day, which happens when you cross time zones. According to Krebs, holding the two pressure points at the same time resets the internal body clock, easing the effects of jet lag.

Acupressure is derived from traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the belief that there are meridians, or energy channels, that run throughout the body. Acupressure is all about balancing energy.

In total, Krebs’s procedure takes about 7 to 10 minutes. For first-timers, the app suggests trying the technique in a comfortable environment, such as a hotel. Krebs and Finn, two seasoned travelers who are experienced with the technique, conduct the acupressure as soon as the plane hits the tarmac, while they are still in their seats.

“Charles and I have developed a friendship,” Finn said. “He shared the solution with me, and after traveling 40 years without it, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is really something.’ I used it on a number of trips to Europe. It was amazing.”

The points used in Uplift are all located in the wrist and lower arm, or between the arch of the foot and your lower calf. Krebs and Finn joke that finding the points is easier than playing the game Twister.

“We really wanted it to work for people,” Krebs said, who hopes Uplift will help travelers reduce their transition time after traveling long distances. A lot of quality time can be lost to jet lag, he and Finn said.

Similarly, Diane Iuliano, a professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ New England School of Acupuncture, turns to acupuncture when she flies. She said it’s an effective way to ward off her symptoms of jet lag.

Iuliano has made 24 trips to Japan, where she teaches and studies acupuncture. She and fellow colleagues will perform acupuncture on themselves before the plane takes off.

“When a group of us go to Japan, and we sit on the plane, it looks like we are studying each other’s ears,” she said.

What they are really doing is placing press balls and press tacks on acupuncture points in the ear. Iuliano leaves the tacks in for the duration of her trip. Certain acupuncture techniques can also be performed in the days leading up to the trip, to prepare for the time change, she said.

Rick Harris, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, has studied the effectiveness of acupressure as a remedy for fatigue in cancer survivors. He thinks it is possible that acupressure could help with jet lag, too.

“Acupressure, specifically at points that make you more alert, would probably help with tiredness [and symptoms of] jet lag,” he said.

There are, of course, skeptics of acupressure. Krebs and Finn said they tested Uplift on 500 travelers, resulting in a 92 percent success rate. They did admit, though, that the trial was conducted on mostly volunteers — friends, business people, and others who sought out Krebs’s work or bought the app during its trial period.

For the skeptics, other proven measures against jet lag include adjusting your sleep schedule during the days before a trip, exposing yourself to sunlight once you land to regulate your body clock, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine also recommends taking melatonin. A survey by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health found that 3.1 million adults used melatonin in 2012 for sleep problems, including jet lag.

The Uplift app is available on the Apple Store and Google Play for $9.99 a year. According to Finn, the app currently has around 300 users.

Nicole DeFeudis can be reached at nicole.defeudis@globe.com.

Mind-Body-Spirit Self Help

Touch Jetlag Away With Uplift!

By Late Night Health Radio on Sunday, April 8, 2018

Health & Wellness in Travel – Neutralize Jet Lag Global travelers have to deal with not only time lost but jet lag! Every day jet lag effects on average 500,000 passengers on 3,500+ long haul flights crossing multiple time zones. Up until now there has been no real solution and business as well as leisure travelers have had to deal with many side effects of jet lag such as being wide awake in the middle of the night, sleepy during the day, or having all kinds of stomach and digestion issues. It really can ruin a once in a lifetime trip or an important business presentation as it takes travelers on average about 24 hours per time zone to adapt. Truly a game changing solution Uplift is a mobile application that provides a safe, easy and effective custom patent pending solution to reset your internal body clock to your new time zone in less than 10 minutes. Uplift neutralizes jet lag and reduces your transition time to your new times zone with a natural scientific and unique acupressure solution. Uplift enhances your most valuable commodity when you travel, your time. Uplift is based on neuroscience and acupressure techniques to reset the internal body clock. Uplift CEO Ted Finn says, “In addition to using Uplift there are several things to do in conjunction with the app to make your long-distance trip an enjoyable one such as getting natural light when you arrive, exercise and a good night’s sleep is all you need along with Uplift to combat the side effects of jet lag.” Uplift Ventures, LLC believes in enhancing health and wellness in travel.

Frequent global traveller Ted Finn knew he was on to something when Dr. Charles Krebs shared his cure for jet-lag with him. After trying out the unique acupressure activation techniques after multiple international flights, Finn knew that so many other global travellers could benefit greatly from this discovery.

As a co-founder of Uplift, Finn is at the core the ideal customer for the app; As an individual who travels internationally at least once a month, thus experiencing the intense side effects of jet-lag quite frequently. Finn, an entrepreneur for 30 years now, began with his first venture in 1987 with his family. Their footwear company was a spinoff of his father’s company, and introduced Finn to “being his own boss.” From there, Finn describes that he “got the bug to work for myself,” and explored additional product innovations. Although Finn has extensive global knowledge and experience, Uplift is his first venture within the travel industry.

Finn first met Dr. Krebs in Cambridge while he was treating Finn’s wife. From there they became friends, and bonded over their similar love for travel. Travelling internationally starting at age 13, Finn could relate to the feelings of jet-lag. Inspired by Dr. Krebs’ discoveries, he decided to try the accupressure point activation on himself. After realizing how useful and effective Dr. Krebs’ system was, he knew there were global travelers out there that could equally benefit from it.

In early stages of product development, Finn realized “based on global travel patterns that users would need to have the solution in hand wherever they would be.” The only scalable solution was to create an app to support Dr. Krebs’ unique algorithms. He also found that users who used Uplift for one international flight and felt the benefits would continue to use it again and again, hence the need for a mobile app that could be used wherever there was internet.

Fast forward to 2018 and Uplift has finally launched commercially. Finn recently got a chance to educate thousands of travellers in person at the New York Times Travel Show in January. He says about the experience, “the trade show was amazing and there was such a great turnout.” The team met travel companies, resorts, and global adventure travelers. The feedback from the trade show was immensely positive, says Finn, and that people were “genuinely relieved there was finally a cure for this global problem.” Because acupressure is not as familiar to Americans as it is to people in other areas of the world, Finn has a responsibility to educate consumers on how it can greatly impact their travel experiences. “We’re offering incredible value here, costing such a small percentage of anyone’s long distance trip, providing them with major benefits,” he says. Only being a few months old, Uplift is growing and adapting constantly. “Every start-up has its own unique set of challenges,” Finn says, “you must be successful with a great product, organization, and a great team.” Among the most challenging hurdles that startups face are how to spread the word and how to grab consumer attention. Finn describes this stage as having “a lot of moving parts that need to align.” He claims that the best part of working on Uplift is the “ability to help millions of people enjoy their travel experiences.” His personal favorite travel experience? “That’s tough...but it would have to be Florence, Italy,” where Finn once lived, “I’ve been traveling back and forth to Italy for 40 years now.”

What’s next for Uplift Ventures? The team will be taking Uplift on tour this year, and interacting with global consumers. Finn says “this year is all about getting people’s attention who travel, and partnering with others in the travel community.”

(Ted bicycling outside of Florence)

By Uplft Contributor - Kaitlyn Mentlick