5 Surprising Ways Tapping Affects Your Body (That Science Has ...

The first time I tried Tapping, it was on a stubborn neck pain. And it vanished in minutes. My skeptical brain went: “Wait, what just happened in my body?”

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience with Tapping (also known as EFT or Emotional Freedom Techniques). You tried it for stress or anxiety, and noticed unexpected physical changes that went beyond what you expected. Or perhaps you’re curious but skeptical about this whole Tapping thing.

What’s fascinating is that rigorous scientific research has been documenting what Tapping practitioners have observed for years: Tapping doesn’t just change how you feel emotionally—it creates profound, measurable shifts in your physical body… changes that have been documented in peer-reviewed medical journals!

Let’s explore five scientifically-proven ways Tapping affects your body, backed by published research that might surprise even experienced Tappers.

1. It Dramatically Reduces Stress Hormones

When you face a stressful situation—whether it’s a work deadline, financial pressure, or relationship conflict—your body responds by flooding your system with cortisol, the primary stress hormone. While this response is helpful in true emergencies, chronically elevated cortisol disrupts nearly every system in your body, from immune function to digestion to sleep.

Here’s where the science gets exciting:

In a randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Dr. Dawson Church and colleagues measured cortisol levels in 83 participants before and after either a one-hour Tapping session, traditional talk therapy, or rest. The results were remarkable: The Tapping group experienced an average 24% decrease in cortisol levels. In contrast, the talk therapy and rest groups only experienced a 14% average reduction.[1]

This wasn’t a one-off finding. In 2020, Dr. Peta Stapleton and her team conducted another randomized controlled trial published in Psychological Trauma, specifically designed to replicate the original cortisol study by Dr. Church. This time, they found an even more dramatic 43% reduction in cortisol after one hour of Tapping.[2]

What this means for you:

Tapping sends calming signals directly to your brain’s alarm center, triggering a cascade of hormonal changes that rapidly reduce stress chemistry in your body. This happens regardless of whether the stressful situation has actually been resolved—your body responds to the tapping signals by shifting out of fight-or-flight mode within minutes.

Think about that for a moment. While you’re tapping on meridian points and focusing on a stressful issue, your brain is literally changing its chemical output in real time. This isn’t subjective—it’s a measurable biological response that explains why you often feel physically different after tapping, even if your circumstances haven’t changed.

2. It Rewires Brain Networks Involved in Pain

Pain is far more complex than most of us realize. It’s not just a simple signal from an injured body part to your brain—it’s an intricate experience influenced by your emotions, past experiences, stress levels, and neural pathways.

Recent brain imaging research has revealed something remarkable about how Tapping affects pain:

In a 2022 study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Dr. Peta Stapleton and colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the brains of people with chronic pain before and after a six-week Tapping program.[3]

After Tapping, participants showed decreased connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and areas in the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus—regions directly involved in pain processing and catastrophizing.

In plain language, this means that Tapping actually changed the neural networks involved in how people experience and interpret pain. These changes in brain activity correlated with participants reporting:

21% reduction in pain severity
26% reduction in pain interference with daily life
37% reduction in anxiety
13% reduction in depression
7% increase in quality of life

What this means for you:
Tapping doesn’t just temporarily mask pain—it actually rewires the brain networks that process and amplify pain signals. This explains why people often experience sustained pain relief after Tapping that goes beyond the session itself. By calming the emotional centers that intensify pain perception, Tapping may create a lasting change in how your brain interprets pain signals.

This finding is particularly significant given that other studies have shown Tapping’s effectiveness for specific pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and post-surgical pain. The neural rewiring helps explain why these benefits persist over time.

3. It Changes Gene Expression Related to Health and Immunity (Yes, For Real!)

This might sound like science fiction, but it’s supported by published research: Tapping can influence which of your genes get turned “on” or “off”—a field known as epigenetics.

In a pioneering study published in Energy Psychology, researcher Marjorie Maharaj analyzed the expression of genes in saliva samples taken before and after a 50-minute Tapping session. The results were remarkable: 72 genes showed differential expression following Tapping, with many of these genes related to immunity, inflammation, and stress regulation. The researchers found that genes associated with immunity were upregulated (turned on more strongly), while genes associated with inflammation were downregulated (turned down).[4]

In a more focused study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, researchers found that a 10-session Tapping program for veterans with PTSD created measurable changes in the expression of six specific genes related to inflammation and immunity.[5]

What this means for you:
Your genetic code isn’t your destiny—it’s more like a complex switchboard where certain genes can be amplified or muted based on your experiences, including stress levels. Tapping appears to affect which genetic instructions get read and implemented by your cells, potentially supporting healing and immunity at the most fundamental level of biology.

This research helps explain why regular Tapping often creates improvements in seemingly unrelated areas of physical health. By altering gene expression patterns related to stress and immunity, Tapping may support your body’s natural healing capabilities across multiple systems.

4. It Improves Multiple Cardiovascular Markers

When your body is chronically stressed, your cardiovascular system takes a significant hit. Stress contributes to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and reduced heart rate variability (HRV)—all factors associated with increased risk of heart disease.

A comprehensive study published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine examined the effects of a 4-day Tapping workshop on multiple physiological markers in over 200 participants.[6] The researchers found that after Tapping:

Resting heart rate decreased by 8%
Systolic blood pressure decreased by 6%
Diastolic blood pressure decreased by 8%

What this means for you:
Tapping doesn’t just help you feel more emotionally resilient—it creates measurable improvements in cardiovascular function that can be objectively measured. This provides a physiological explanation for why people often report feeling physically lighter and more energetic after Tapping.

What’s particularly remarkable is how quickly these cardiovascular changes can occur. While lifestyle interventions like diet and exercise typically take weeks or months to significantly improve cardiovascular markers, Tapping sessions often produce measurable improvements within a single session.

5. It Enhances Immune System Function

Have you ever noticed how you tend to get sick during or after periods of high stress? This isn’t a coincidence—chronic stress suppresses immune function by diverting resources toward immediate survival mechanisms.

Research has shown that Tapping not only reduces psychological stress but also might actually affect immune function itself.

In the comprehensive study mentioned earlier (published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine), researchers found that after a 4-day Tapping program, participants showed a 113% increase in salivary immunoglobulin A—a critical antibody that serves as the first line of defense against pathogens.[6]

What this means for you:
Every time you tap to reduce stress, you’re not just helping yourself feel better emotionally—you’re creating biological conditions that support optimal immune function. This explains why regular Tappers often report improved resilience to common illnesses and faster recovery when they do get sick.

What’s fascinating is that this effect creates a positive feedback loop: Tapping reduces stress, which enhances immune function, which reduces the physical stress of fighting infections, which further reduces overall stress levels.

Bringing It All Together: The Science Behind Tapping’s Effects

What we’ve explored isn’t speculation or anecdotal evidence—it’s documented in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Tapping creates profound physiological changes:

It significantly reduces cortisol and other stress hormones
It rewires brain networks involved in pain processing
It alters gene expression related to immunity and inflammation
It improves multiple markers of cardiovascular health
It enhances immune system function

These physical changes explain why Tapping often succeeds where willpower, positive thinking, or conventional approaches fall short. It’s working directly with your body’s biological systems, not just your conscious thoughts.

The most exciting part? These benefits are accessible to everyone. In The Tapping Solution App, you’ll find guided sessions specifically designed to help you experience these benefits, including:

These sessions combine the science-backed benefits we’ve explored with expert guidance to help you create lasting transformation.

Which of these scientifically-proven effects of Tapping do you find most surprising? Have you noticed any unexpected physical changes after your Tapping sessions? Share in the comments—I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner