Tapping is a form of acupressure. Many people believe that acupressure not only promotes wellness and relaxation, but that it may also address certain health issues. It is an alternative therapy that is very similar to acupuncture but without the use of needles. Instead, your fingers or hands are used to apply pressure to certain areas in order to balance your body’s energy system.
Several schools of natural medicine ascribe the cause of various health conditions to an energy system imbalance. Certain types of exercises, such as tapping, may help restore that balance.
Many Eastern healing principles are based on the idea that your body has certain areas where energy is generated, from there flowing to other areas. This energy flow is moved throughout the body by means of what are known as meridians. Sometimes, however, something may cause a blockage in this flow of energy. This blockage in energy may then make itself known by means of symptoms that may present as health issues.
In accordance with these claims, internal organs and systems are represented at certain points on these meridians. The idea is that, when pressure is applied to these areas, such as by means of acupuncture or tapping as a form of acupressure, you help restore the energy balance in those particular areas.
Practitioners claim that we have twelve major meridians connecting our organ systems. They begin at the tips of your fingers, are connected to your brain, and from there, to different organs that are associated with certain specific meridians.
Each of these particular organs, however, also have specific points on your body’s surface to which they are connected by this energy flow. When manipulated correctly, the idea is that the energy imbalance that is suffered in a particular organ may be addressed. One energy balancing session, whether by means of acupuncture, acupressure, or tapping, may not be enough to restore a perfect balance. Often multiple sessions may be needed to bring about a substantial improvement in symptoms.
In traditional medicine, the energy we are talking about here has various names. The Chinese refer to it as qi (ch’i), the Japanese as ki, and the Indians as prana. No matter the culture, though, the central idea is using this energy to facilitate the healing process. Reiki is another form of energy healing often mentioned which refers to the idea of using the hands in order to manipulate your energy to effect healing.
The Emotional Freedom Technique, often referred to as EFT or tapping, is sometimes used in a clinical setting in order to supply psychological and physical relief to pain. In effect, it may result in cognitive reprocessing and acceptance, and assist with the rectifying of energetic discrepancies that may be manifest. According to numerous studies, it may have the same beneficial effect as acupuncture and other energy healing practices.
So far studies show positive results associated with tapping, stating it may be effective in addressing both psychological and physical issues. Amongst these are included anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, asthma, pain, and fibromyalgia, amongst many others.
With regards to the benefits of tapping, research thus far seems positive. Studies done on people with PTSD have been encouraging. Tapping, according to one study, may help reduce psychological stress, while another shows that it may be of benefit to those with anxiety disorders. Several studies indicate that this strategy may help combat chronic pain, and yet another indicates that is may be of benefit to those who suffer from tension headaches.
Part of the reason tapping may be effective is due to how your body responds to stress.
Your body’s response to stress, referred to as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, begins with chemical messengers in the brain (neurotransmitters) transmitting signals between neurons and communicating between the different organs systems in your body. The various neurotransmitters, in effect, may regulate just about all body functions, including cognitive performance, your pain response, mental health, and even sleep patterns.
According to research, a malfunction in neurotransmission, e.g. a chemical imbalance, is quite common and often the root cause of many different health issues. When neurotransmission is impaired, communication between different body components is hampered, and the mind and body are not able to effectively communicate. Although many people may have some form of neurotransmission issue, only a small number may actually have clinical symptoms associated with the issue.
Amongst the components affected when neurotransmitters are compromised are brain function and your hormonal balance. These are closely aligned with adrenal health. Neurotransmitter malfunction may also contribute towards adrenal fatigue. One of the main ways tapping may help your energy flow is through helping to modulate neurotransmitters, which are responsible for much of the electrical signaling that goes on in your body.
Your energy flow comes into play because electricity, or energy, is present all around us as well as within us. Most of the cells in your body are able to conduct electrical currents. In fact, the nervous system needs electricity in order to send signals throughout the body. This makes it possible for you to think, feel emotions, and even walk. And this is where your neurotransmitters come into play and why they are so important.
The function of a neurotransmitter is to transmit information from one nerve or neuron to another. Your nerve cells do not touch each other though and are separated from each other by what is known as a synaptic cleft. Neurotransmission between neurons is accomplished by means of electrical signaling across this synaptic cleft, allowing the information in one neuron to pass to the next and so on. This means that the signal reached in the end neuron or neurons has traveled a via long pathway until the final destination is reached.
Besides relaying messages to the different parts of your nervous system, these neurotransmitters are also responsible for triggering responses in your organs and cells. We are not even aware of this ongoing process.
Different neurotransmitters have different functions, for example:
An imbalance in neurotransmitter function, for whatever reason, may thus interfere with your body’s flow of electricity. Common symptoms associated with an imbalance in neurotransmitter function include, amongst others:
While certain medications may help address the symptoms, they often do not address the root cause. Tapping could potentially be employed as a technique for helping address the issues of energy flow.
Although tapping, in many instances, is treated with a great deal of skepticism by many, it is a methodology that is easy to teach and self-administer.
This is an easy tapping technique that anyone can do. It may help restore energy balance when you are not feeling your optimal self. You can repeat the sequence set out as many times as you like.
While tapping is an easy exercise to do on your own, you should not consider it a means of self-healing. It is still usually a good idea to have yourself checked out by a qualified healthcare professional who is able to determine the cause of your health concern. Tapping is best seen as a tool to help manage a specific issue in connection with other tools, such a breathing exercises or meditation.
Although it is fine to practice tapping by yourself, seeing a qualified tapping practitioner with an in-depth knowledge of various tapping techniques is also a helpful option. Some practitioners may work in conjunction with your healthcare practitioner in order to get you on the road to health once more.
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
No research thus far indicates that tapping will help you with weight loss. Weight gain has, however, been associated with neurotransmitter issues, the latter being associated with energy flow. Tapping may thus be of benefit with regards to weight issues, although no concrete evidence supports this.
