Breast cancer is a very challenging disease. The entire experience, from diagnosis through treatment, is physically and emotionally taxing to say the very least.
One aspect of breast cancer that can be particularly intense and brutal on both the mind and body involves the side effects from common treatment options. These side effects can take a major toll on quality of life, and they can be incredibly challenging to live with during the course of treatment.
Fortunately, we continue to learn more and more about how to best support people going through breast cancer treatment, and research continues to be done on complementary treatment options to help reduce the impact of side effects.
Today, I’m excited to share with you a research study that you’ll want to know about if you or someone you know is managing breast cancer. In the study, researchers discovered that Tapping was extremely effective at reducing the unpleasant side effects of hormonal breast cancer therapies.
Let’s take a closer look at the study and the exciting results the researchers found.
Study finds Tapping helps lessen side effects from hormone therapy
The study was led by researchers Baker and Hoffman and was published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine. They gathered a group of 41 women in total, all of whom had breast cancer and were receiving hormonal therapies as treatment.[1]
The hormone therapies these women were being treated with often produce challenging side effects like hot flashes, mood disturbances, fatigue, pain, and more. The participants filled out questionnaires that asked them about their side effects and symptoms at the beginning of the study, halfway through the study, and at the end of the twelve-week study.
When the study began, all of the participants went through a three-week EFT Tapping course, where they experienced Tapping for three hours each week. After the course ended, they were instructed to use Tapping as a self-care tool as needed over the next nine weeks until the conclusion of the study.
After the study concluded, the researchers were able to look at the data to see if there were any meaningful trends across the twelve weeks. They wanted to know: did the women experience improvements in their side effects after they started to use Tapping?
When looking at the data, the researchers saw that the answer was yes! They found that mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, and fatigue all decreased significantly after the participants learned and applied Tapping. Fatigue and hot flashes also showed improvements, although the difference was not considered statistically significant. The improvements were seen halfway through the study at the 6-week mark, as well as at the end of the study at the 12-week mark.
The authors of the study concluded, “These preliminary findings suggest EFT may be an effective self-help tool for women with breast cancer experiencing side effects from hormonal therapies.”
Tapping: a tool for empowerment through breast cancer treatment
When going through cancer treatment, it can feel like so much is out of your control. But studies like the one highlighted above remind us that even during the intensity of cancer treatment, there are always things we can do to support ourselves and there are always ways to take our healing into our own hands.
The results of the study showed us that a simple self-care tool like Tapping – one that is easy to use, takes only a few minutes, and can be done anywhere and anytime – can significantly improve side effects from a common breast cancer treatment option.
When facing such a taxing disease, it is important to empower yourself, and to fill your healing toolbox with as many tools as possible that can help you to feel better and support the healing process from many different angles.
Tapping is one of those tools that can be so incredibly powerful; it is a key tool to have in your toolbox!
The emotional work that Tapping involves helps us to release stress from our bodies and let go of strong or unresolved emotions that may be getting in the way of healing. While Tapping itself doesn’t “cure” anything, it does help us to address the emotional component of disease and it helps the body heal.
If you want to learn more about the science behind Tapping and how it works, click here.
Check out these resources to learn more about Tapping
If you or someone you love is going through breast cancer treatment and is struggling with side effects, I encourage you to learn more about Tapping.
This technique is so simple and so effective at helping us feel more calm, confident, positive, and at ease… even in the most challenging of circumstances. And when that stress is released, our bodies respond with actual, physiological changes that help us heal.
To get started, you can learn more about the basics of Tapping and how to Tap here, and you can get to know the Tapping points here.
If you want to dive deeper and be led step by step through the process, head over to The Tapping Solution App. It’s a great resource with a big library of guided Tapping meditations to help you release stress, calm your body, and promote healing.
Some specific titles you might choose from include:
- Support Your Healing: Cancer
- Release Cancer Pain
- Support Your Body: Breast Health
- Support Your Body: Breast Problems
- Support Your Body: Hormone Health
- Balanced Hormones Sleep Programming
- Micro Boost of Healing
Wishing you health and healing today and everyday!
Until next time… keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
References
- Baker B, Hoffman C. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to reduce the side effects associated with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor use in women with breast cancer: A service evaluation. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 2014;7(2):136-142.
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