Another study makes the point

A study by Ghaderi, Nazari and Shaygannejad, published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research explored the effects of EFT on fatigue in women with multiple sclerosis. Fatigue is one of the many symptoms that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience. It has a tremendous impact on quality of life, so treatments to address it are important. In the present study, women in the tapping group had less fatigue than those in a sham tapping comparison group. These results add to the growing body of evidence supporting EFT for physical as well as psychological issues. Indeed, EFT helps reduce fatigue in women with MS.

Background

One symptom of multiple sclerosis is fatigue, which can be chronic and debilitating.  About 2.8 million people around the world have MS, including as many as one million in the US alone.  MS prevalence has increased in every world region since 2013; females are twice as likely to be afflicted as males. Multiple Sclerosis usually presents at a highly productive stage of life when people are planning families and building careers, and thus can have a significant impact on affected individuals, their families and society. A growing arsenal of treatments offers opportunities to reduce disability1 and extend survival2 of people with MS; however, a cure is still lacking and the etiology of the disease remains unknown.

The study setup

Researchers from the MS Clinic of Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Isfahan, Iran randomized 50 women  with MS into two groups.  Twenty-five women received 30 minute sessions of EFT twice a week for four weeks, while the control group received two group sessions of tapping on sham (false) points for the same period. The women completed the Fatigue Severity Scale before, immediately after and 4 weeks after the intervention.

Study results: EFT helps reduce fatigue

There was a significant reduction in fatigue in the EFT group compared to the sham group, both immediately after and at the 4-week followup, p<.001. The researchers concluded: “It seems that EFT is effective in diminishing fatigue among patients with MS, and is recommended as a convenient and safe non-medicament strategy for self-management of fatigue.

Why this study matters

Note that both the EFT and the sham/control groups were active tapping groups.  Had the researchers used a standard of care or a wait-list control, the difference between groups would likely have been larger and more significant.  This study also shows that tapping acupoints is an important component of EFT. Some critics have challenged this idea.  Meridian tapping is unique among psychotherapies in relieving both psychological and physiological symptoms, shedding light on the mind-body connection.

Professional Training in Tapping

Are you a medical professional looking to add energy psychology skills to your clinical practice in order to help patients like these? ACEP offers training in EFT and Comprehensive Energy Psychology for medical professionals. To learn more, check out our training calendar and certification programs. If you would like to use EFT to help your mental health issues, contact me.