The Tapping Evidence Base
Burnout & Work Stress · How It Works (Biology)

Is Acupoint Stimulation an Active Ingredient in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)? A Controlled Trial of Teacher Burnout

Reynolds, A. E. · Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment · 2015

Dismantling study👥 126 participants⚖️ vs. sham tapping (non-acupoint forearm tapping)Moderate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 United States
In plain English. Burned-out public school teachers were split into two tapping groups: one tapped on real acupuncture points, the other tapped on a neutral forearm spot that isn't a meridian point. Only the real-acupoint group showed a meaningfully bigger drop in burnout. That head-to-head comparison is exactly the kind of test that answers 'is it the tapping location that matters, or just doing something calming?' — and here, location mattered.

What they found

126
people took part

Teachers tapping on real acupoints showed significantly stronger improvement on burnout measures than teachers tapping on sham (non-acupoint) forearm locations, isolating acupoint stimulation as an active ingredient rather than the tapping ritual alone.

How the study worked

Who took partK-12 public school teachers (n=126)
What they didThis dismantling study compared standard tapping against a modified version to test which components matter.
Compared withsham tapping (non-acupoint forearm tapping)
Measured withMaslach Burnout Inventory (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, Personal Accomplishment)

💡 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 burnout & work stress 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

DesignDismantling study
Participants126 people
PopulationK-12 public school teachers
Comparison groupsham tapping (non-acupoint forearm tapping)
Outcome measuresMaslach Burnout Inventory (Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, Personal Accomplishment)
JournalEnergy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Year2015
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Reynolds, A. E. (2015). Is Acupoint Stimulation an Active Ingredient in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)? A Controlled Trial of Teacher Burnout. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2015.05.1.AR

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 Burnout & Work Stress · How It Works (Biology)

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Burnout & Work Stress 126 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Teachers tapping on real acupoints showedsignificantly stronger improvement onburnout measures than teachers… Dismantling study · 126 participants Reynolds · 2015 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com