The purpose of the study is to determine if a physiological marker, joint rotation of the
upper body, can be affected by the release of emotional trauma during a brief
psychotherapeutic encounter, and whether acupressure is an active ingredient in EFT.

Evaluating Physiological Markers of Emotional Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Mind-Body Therapies

Hypermobility, Joint

Depression

Anxiety

The effect of emotional trauma on physiological functioning has been documented in a
number of studies. The largest of these is the ACE study, (ACE=Adverse Childhood
Experiences), which examined the health outcomes of over 17,000 patients at Kaiser
Permanente Hospitals. It was performed by Kaiser in collaboration with the Centers for
Disease Control, on a population with a median age of 56. The ACE study found that those
patients with a high incidence of Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs had higher rates
of bone fractures, cancer, heart disease, hypertension, depression, smoking, suicide,
diabetes, and other physical and psychological ailments. The authors of the study
compared the health care system's focus on treating disease in adults to a fire brigade
directing their water at the smoke, rather than at the originating fire. They recommended
that health care providers focus on the emotional trauma which they believe contributes
to many illnesses.

The current study seeks to determine if the treatment of emotional trauma has an effect
on physiological function. As a marker of physiological function, the authors of this
study have chosen the range of motion of the joints of the upper body. Shoulder joint
stiffness and syndromes such as frozen shoulder typically take months or even years to
heal, and rapid resolution is unusual, though most such injuries do indeed heal over
time. Range of motion is a convenient marker of physiological change because it can be
measured accurately in degrees using a goniometer, a protractor-like device routinely
used in occupational therapy and physical therapy. Changes after treatment can be
immediately noted.

The emotional trauma treatment modalities being investigated are Emotional Freedom
Techniques or EFT, and Diaphragmatic Breathing or DB, with the DB group receiving an
identical protocol but with DB substituted for the acupressure component of EFT. They are
being compared with a no treatment control group. Studies of EFT have shown this therapy
to be effective in removing or reducing emotional traumas, such as phobias, in a single
brief treatment session, as well as in reducing anxiety. The effects hold over time. Most
prior studies using EFT as a treatment modality study the effects of only one session,
and have found that EFT can be effective even with a very brief course of treatment. For
the current study, one 30 minute EFT treatment is undertaken. The range of motion of the
shoulder joint is recorded before and after treatment by a licensed occupational
therapist using a goniometer. The Diaphragmatic Breathing protocol used by the second
group has a verbal content identical to the EFT group, but substitutes DB for
acupressure. A follow up assessment of subjects is done after 30 days. Range of motion
usually does not relapse, but instead becomes greater, following conventional treatments,
and this measure has the advantage of requiring a relatively short follow up period,
rather than the longer period required for other physiological markers.

The purpose of the study is to discover if a significant change in the range of motion
occurs after treatment, and to dismantle the acupressure from the verbal component of EFT
by substituting DB for this portion of the protocol.

Evaluating Physiological Markers of Emotional Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Mind-Body Therapies

About this trial

Study ID

Status

Type

Phase

Placebo

Accepting

Trial Timing

What is this trial about?

What are the participation requirements?

Locations

Location

Status