The Tapping Evidence Base
Other Physical Conditions

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on Fatigue among Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Ghaderi, Z., Nazari, F., Shaygannejad, V. · Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research · 2021

Randomized trial👥 50 participants⚖️ vs. sham tapping on false points (active sham control)Moderate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 Iran
In plain English. Fifty women with multiple sclerosis were randomly assigned to real EFT or a sham version tapping on meaningless points, single-blind. The real EFT group's fatigue dropped substantially more than the sham group's, both right after treatment and four weeks later. Using an active sham control makes this a relatively strong test that the specific tapping points and technique matter, not just the ritual or attention.

What they found

50
people took part

Fatigue severity did not differ between case and sham groups before intervention (p=0.67), but was significantly lower in the EFT group immediately after (3.05 vs. 5.15) and 4 weeks after (3.10 vs. 5.59) the intervention (p<0.001).

How the study worked

Who took partwomen with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Isfahan, Iran (n=50)
What they didIn a randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive tapping or a comparison condition, then measured and compared.
Compared withsham tapping on false points (active sham control)
Measured withFatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

💡 Where this could help

Picture someone living with multiple sclerosis, whose fatigue limits basic daily activities in ways medication doesn't fully address. If this sham-controlled finding holds up, tapping could offer people with MS a genuinely self-administered way to manage fatigue between neurology appointments — learned once, then used at home for free, without adding another medication to an already complex treatment regimen.

🔬 What to study next

MS fatigue has real inflammatory drivers, so the next step is checking whether tapping's edge over sham tapping shows up in inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-alpha, or in cortisol patterns, alongside the Fatigue Severity Scale. Actigraphy could replace self-reported fatigue with objective daily activity tracking, and neuroimaging of fatigue-related brain regions would help clarify whether something measurable is shifting in the central nervous system rather than just perceived exhaustion. A longer follow-up beyond four weeks would also show whether the gain holds as the disease continues its course.

The full record

DesignRandomized trial
Participants50 people
Populationwomen with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Isfahan, Iran
Comparison groupsham tapping on false points (active sham control)
Outcome measuresFatigue Severity Scale (FSS)
JournalIranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research
Year2021
CountryIran
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

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Cite this study

APA

Ghaderi, Z., Nazari, F., & Shaygannejad, V. (2021). The Effect of Emotional Freedom Technique on Fatigue among Women with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_188_19

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 Other Physical Conditions

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Other Physical Conditions 50 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Fatigue severity did not differ between caseand sham groups before intervention(p=0.67), but was significantly… Randomized trial · 50 participants Ghaderi · 2021 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com