The Tapping Evidence Base
Anxiety · Other Physical Conditions

Effects on anxiety and vital signs of the Emotional Freedom Technique and music before surgery for lumbar disc hernia

Cici, R., Özkan, M. · Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine · 2021

Controlled trial👥 162 participants⚖️ vs. music intervention; no-treatment controlModerate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 Turkey
In plain English. Over 160 patients about to undergo spinal disc surgery in Turkey were split into an EFT group, a music group, or standard care. Both EFT and music calmed patients' anxiety and vital signs more than standard care alone, and EFT edged out music specifically for anxiety and breathing rate. This is a well-sized three-arm trial in a real surgical setting.

What they found

162
people took part

EFT and music both significantly reduced state anxiety and subjective discomfort (P < .001) compared to control, with EFT more effective than music on state anxiety and respiratory rate.

How the study worked

Who took partadult patients undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery (n=162)
What they didIn a controlled trial, a tapping group was compared against a separate comparison group.
Compared withmusic intervention; no-treatment control
Measured withState-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety (STAI-S), Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), vital signs

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people struggling with anxiety who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: longer-term follow-up to see how durable the benefit is, and an active ('sham tapping') control to isolate what's doing the work.

The full record

DesignControlled trial
Participants162 people
Populationadult patients undergoing lumbar disc herniation surgery
Comparison groupmusic intervention; no-treatment control
Outcome measuresState-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety (STAI-S), Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), vital signs
JournalAlternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
Year2021
CountryTurkey
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Cici, R., & Özkan, M. (2021). Effects on anxiety and vital signs of the Emotional Freedom Technique and music before surgery for lumbar disc hernia. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on Anxiety · Other Physical Conditions

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Anxiety 162 participants WHAT THEY FOUND EFT and music both significantly reducedstate anxiety and subjective discomfort (P <.001) compared to control, with… Controlled trial · 162 participants Cici · 2021 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com