By Christine Wheeler, MA

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a new pain relief method that has gained the attention of both physicians and lay persons. It borrows from the discoveries of Albert Einstein (i.e. everything, including your body, is composed of energy) and from the ancient wisdom of Chinese acupuncture. 

In essence, EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture except that needles are not necessary.  Instead, certain release points are stimulated by tapping them with the fingertips. The basics of EFT can be learned by anyone and can be self-applied (usually in minutes).

Sometimes referred to as the "Tapping Technology," it often works when nothing else will. This is because EFT uses a different approach than conventional western medicine. Rather than use drugs, it aims at balancing the body's important subtle energies through an easily learned do-it-yourself procedure.

While EFT is not perfect, its clinical results show relief in 80 percent of the EFT cases. Pain of all kinds noticeably subsides within moments and, sometimes, people get complete relief from even long-term pain in as little as three minutes. 

EFT newsletter readers were asked to share stories of how they used EFT as a pain management tool. Following are examples of their numerous pain control stories. 

• I have used EFT for two to three months. I have seen impressive results in the relief of physical symptoms. I myself had a chronic shoulder pain with symptoms consistent with fibromyalgia. I had seen a chiropractor and took OTC (over the counter) pain relief meds almost daily for the muscle pain. I targeted the shoulder pain with EFT and got relief within two rounds (about six minutes of applying the EFT procedure). I have had mild discomfort in the shoulder since then that quickly resolves with short rounds (applications of EFT).
  
  I also used EFT with a client who had been in a serious auto accident. Her Jeep Cherokee had been totaled and she was removed from the vehicle with the jaws of life. She came to my office hunched over with back and neck pain. I used EFT and within two to three rounds (six to nine minutes of applying EFT), she did not have the pain. I have had some physical conditions in clients that did not improve with EFT, but usually there is great relief. Laura Campbell, BCSW

• ... Personally, I have used EFT to reduce my menstrual cramp pain by more than 50%; i.e. I take about 25-50% less pain medication. I am frequently able to tap away cramping and when I can't, I need less medication to do the job for me. Best wishes, Mary Sheridan

• My partner and I worked with an executive secretary who had experienced chronic pain for many years as a result of long-term steroid use. She had pain in her shoulder, chest, back and especially in her foot. She stated that she had a bone spur in her foot, which caused almost unbearable pain. We had her focus on each of these areas and quickly resolved all of the pain except that in her foot. The pain in her foot took several rounds (about 10 minutes of applying EFT) but did finally resolve. To test this we had her running up and down the stairs where we work. She was able to do this with no pain and without getting out of breath.
  Tom Altaffer, LCSW

In addition to improving acute and chronic pain, EFT has also been a consistently effective healing tool for hundreds of other physical, mental and emotional ailments. For more information, you can explore the EFT Web site and read through numerous clinical cases regarding fears, phobias, emotional traumas and physical ailments.

While a complete description of EFT is beyond the scope of this article, you can learn all the basics from the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual. Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get the very affordable training DVDs.

Please consult qualified health professionals before putting EFT into practice for yourself or others.