If you struggle with migraine attacks, you know how they can disrupt your daily life. You might feel like there are few easy options to address a migraine attack in the moment, or when you notice warning signs.
The Emotional Freedom Technique, often called EFT tapping, may have some do-it-yourself benefits when you notice a migraine attack approaching.
What Is EFT Tapping?
EFT tapping is a technique that involves gently tapping on parts of your body to help release stress and negative emotions. It is based on the belief in Chinese traditional medicine that acupuncture or acupressure can stimulate energy channels throughout the body.
Acupuncture uses thin needles to target specific parts of the body for pain or stress reduction. Similarly, acupressure applies physical pressure, instead of needles, to certain points in the body.
EFT tapping involves tapping on parts of your body while concentrating on a problem or negative emotion you are experiencing.
"You're saying something out loud, that's like an emotion or a thought, combined with acupressure," says Emily Kostelnik, PhD, a clinical health psychologist who specializes in vestibular disorders, including vestibular migraine.
It's easy, and you can do it anywhere with even just a few minutes of free time.
Can EFT Tapping Help Migraine?
EFT tapping has been found at least moderately effective in addressing conditions including physical pain, insomnia, and depression, according to a review of relevant research studies.
Research on EFT tapping for migraine is limited. If you have migraine, EFT tapping may still have benefits.
EFT tapping had positive effects in easing tension headaches and relieving stress, according to one study. Other research finds significant benefit for people living with chronic pain of all kinds. In fact, the method was found to reduce connectivity between parts of the brain associated with pain receptors.
EFT tapping may significantly lower levels of cortisol, one of the major stress hormones in your body. Stress can cause migraine attacks. EFT tapping has also been found to boost feelings of happiness and contentment.
The technique may help you regulate your emotions and relax your nervous system, a useful tool both before and during migraine attacks. It may help you stay calm during an attack or ease your anxiety around migraine.
EFT Tapping: A Resource, Not a Cure
If you get migraine attacks regularly, you have probably searched for all kinds of solutions. Keep in mind, EFT tapping may be one practice to help you manage your migraine. But it is not a cure.
Consider it a practice you can use alongside other treatment methods.
"It's a piece of a toolbox," Kostelnik says.
You should continue to follow your doctor's recommendations and treatment plans. Those may include medications for migraine or other preventive methods, such as the use of neuromodulation devices to stimulate nerves in the brain.
If you are curious about EFT tapping, consult your doctor before trying it out. You may want to start out with the support of a therapist, in case you feel overwhelmed by feelings that arise during EFT tapping, Kostelnik says.
Remember, if you feel a migraine approaching, find a quiet, dark space where you can rest for a bit. Don't forget to drink plenty of water. You might put a wet cloth or an ice pack on your forehead.
Plus, there are other lifestyle updates you can make to help lessen the intensity and frequency of your migraine attacks. Establish a good sleep and eating routine. Get plenty of aerobic exercise.
Other relaxation techniques can help you manage migraine symptoms. Breath and mindfulness work may help you ease stress and learn ways to manage your emotions.
Don't forget to keep a headache diary. Log your symptoms on a daily basis, and note any treatments you use. If you try EFT tapping, write it down so you remember when you tried it and how you felt afterward.
Try EFT Tapping Yourself
EFT tapping includes a sequence of tapping exercises on different parts of your body. You can practice it as often as you like. Creating a routine can help your body adjust to the technique over time.
Before and after tapping, think about a problem you want to address with the technique. If you experience migraine, you might concentrate on the pain or any anxiety related to migraine.
It can help to use sensory descriptions, Kostelnik says.
"For example, I have a pain behind my eye," she says. "How would you describe it? Is it stabbing? Is it dull? Is it moving, or is it still? What color would you associate with it? What texture would you associate it with? If it could talk, what would it say?"
Describe it both before and after tapping. Did your descriptions change at all?
Follow these steps to try EFT tapping yourself:
Recognize the problem. Close your eyes and picture the issue you want to focus on. For migraine, it may be the pain associated with an attack, your stress and anxiety around the uncertainty of your condition, or worries about how migraine attacks affect your work or family life.
Give it a rating. Rank the problem you've identified on a scale from 0 to 10. Rate it 0 if you don't actually consider it an issue, and rank it 10 if it's one of the worst challenges you've ever confronted.
Write an affirmation. Write a sentence that mentions the problem you are facing as well as your own recognition of self-love and self-worth. For migraine, a sample sentence might be: "I feel severe pain in my head every time a migraine attacks, but I still respect and care for my body in each moment." Keep your affirmation focused on your own experience. Avoid making it about another person or something outside of you. This is about what you feel and want to work on with yourself.
Start tapping. Gently tap nine specific parts of your body. Tap each specified part of the body seven to nine times, on either one or both sides of the body. You might complete several rounds of the sequence. While you tap, repeat to yourself your affirmation. You can update it during the process. For instance, your affirmation around migraine might become: "When I feel intense head pain during migraine attacks, I choose to let the pain go and allow my body to rest when it needs to." What you focus on and how it changes over the course of tapping is personal to you. Only you know what feels right and what you would like to update during the sequence.
Follow this process to begin tapping:
- First, use four fingers to tap the side of your other hand below the pinky finger.
- After that, use two fingers to tap the following locations on your body:
- The inner edge of your eyebrow
- The bone on the side of your eye
- The bone underneath your eye
- Right above your upper lip
- Right below your lower lip
- The sides or center of your collarbone
- Then, use three fingers to tap beneath your arm, under your armpit
- Take three or four fingers and tap on the top of your head
- Check your rating: How do you feel about the problem at hand after finishing EFT tapping? Once again, rank it from 0 to 10.
If you don't feel like your emotions around the problem have improved, you can try more rounds of tapping. For further help with processing your feelings, consider reaching out to a therapist or your doctor.
