Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique Intervention to Reduce Pain In Cancer Patients

December 10, 2017 Pain and Physical Conditions

Citation: Hakam, M., Yetti, K., & Hariyati, T. S. (2009). Spiritual emotional freedom technique intervention to reduce pain in cancer patients. Makara Journal of Health Research, 13(2). doi:10.7454/msk.v13i2.375

Abstract

Spiritual emotional freedom technique (SEFT) represents a combination technique from body’s energy system and spiritual therapy by tapping at certain points of the body. SEFT focuses on certain words or sentences pronounced several times in a rhythm, followed by resignation to God as in patient’s belief. This research was aimed to explore the effect of SEFT intervention on the cancer pain of patients at the Dr. Soetomo General Hospital in Surabaya. Quasi experimental were used in this study using pretest and posttest design with control group. Samples, 20 respondents (in 2 groups), were recruited using consecutive sampling. The intervention group received SEFT intervention combined with analgesic therapy and the control group was given only analgesic therapy. SEFT intervention was implemented after administrating analgesic, for 5-10 minutes every day during 5 days. Pain was measured using numeric rating scale (NRS). The combination SEFT intervention and analgesic therapy was more effective than only analgesic therapy. SEFT can be employed for cancer patients to relieve their pain. Nursing intervention with SEFT encourages nurse’s role autonomy and steps to reduce patient’s dependency on analgesic therapy.

Link to publication: http://journal.ui.ac.id/health/article/view/375 thought text is in Indonesian

Craig’s Notes

This research was performed at an Indonesian hospital setting. 20 cancer patients were divided into an SEFT (Spiritual EFT) group with pain medication and a control group with pain medication only. The tapping work was done for 5-10 minutes/day for 5 days. A self administered subjective pain scale (like a 0-10 SUD) scale was used and found that the experimental group that received both the SEFT and the pain meds received improved outcomes when compared to the pain medication only group. The researchers encourage its use by nurses to reduce the use of pain medication which currently is at epidemic levels in the US and abroad. SEFT, to the best of my knowledge is a combination of EFT with an element of using phrases that incorporate the client’s belief in a supreme being and perhaps some sense of surrendering to God as part of the tapping process.