Grounding, also called earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically connect you to the earth. I work out alot and suffer from upper back pain – I had tried all sorts of pills, potions and lotions, but nothing worked…until I seen a documentary on Grounding. This technique is FREE and something I do every day. Grounding is also proven to reduce inflammation – which in turn can help slow the aging process!
This practice relies on earthing science and grounding physics to explain how electrical charges from the earth can have positive effects on your body. Even 10 minutes a day can have a HUGE impact!
What the science says
Grounding is currently an under-researched topic that’s making headlines in the wellness beauty community! Recent research has explored grounding for inflammation, cardiovascular disease, muscle damage, chronic pain, and more!
The central theory from one review studyTrusted Source is that grounding affects the living matrix, which is the central connector between living cells.
Electrical conductivity exists within the matrix that functions as an immune system defense, similar to antioxidants. They believe that through grounding, the natural defenses of the body can be restored. Further research expands on this idea.
In a small studyTrusted Source on grounding and heart health, 10 healthy participants were grounded using patches on the palms of their hands and soles of their feet.
Blood measurements were taken before and after grounding to determine any changes in red blood cell fluidity, which plays a role in heart health. The results indicated significantly less red blood cell clumping after grounding, which suggests benefits for cardiovascular health.
Blood work indicated that grounding reduced muscle damage and pain in athletes. This suggests that grounding may influence healing abilities.
This research is supported by a recent studyTrusted Source on grounding for pain reduction and mood improvement. Sixteen massage therapists alternated between periods of grounding and no grounding.
Before grounding therapy, physical and emotional stress and pain were common side effects of their physically demanding jobs. After the earthing therapy, pain, stress, depression, and fatigue were all reduced among participants.
Types of grounding or earthing
There are many types of grounding. All of them focus on reconnecting yourself to the earth. This can be done through either direct contact with the earth. There are tools you can purchase for this but honestly – there’s no need. You don’t need to spend money to connect to mother Gaia
When you’re outside, you can easily ground yourself by allowing the bottoms of your feet, palms of your hands, or entire body to touch the earth. Walk in the grass, lay in the sand, or swim in the sea. These are all easy ways to naturally reconnect.
Walking barefoot
Have you ever been outside on a warm summer day and felt the urge to run barefoot in the grass? One of the easiest ways to ground yourself to the earth is to walk barefoot.
Whether this is on grass, sand, or even mud, allowing your skin to touch the natural earth can provide you with grounding energy.
Lying on the ground
You can increase your skin-to-earth contact by lying on the ground. You can do it in the grass by the park or on the sand at the beach.
If you’re going to ground yourself in this way, be sure to take the proper precautions and never lie somewhere you could be injured.
Submersing in water
According to advocates for grounding, water may be used to ground in the same way the physical earth is used for grounding.
They suggest simply wading in a clear lake or swimming in the ocean as a way to ground yourself. As always, be sure to stay safe when swimming, especially in murky or deep waters.
Why use grounding?
- Chronic fatigue. In the study on massage therapists, many reported a decrease in their fatigue levels after 4 weeks of treatment with grounding mats.
- Chronic pain. The study on grounding for exercise recovery found that those who used grounding patches reported lower pain levels.
- Anxiety and depression. It was shown that even 1 hour of grounding therapy can significantly improve mood.
- Sleep disorders. The massage therapists also experienced an improvement in sleep length and reduce sleep disturbances with grounding therapy.
- Cardiovascular disease. Results of one treatment studyTrusted Source found that long-term self-administered grounding therapy helped to reduce blood pressure levels in participants with hypertension.
The bottom line
Grounding or earthing is a therapeutic technique that focuses on realigning your electrical energy by reconnecting to the earth.
Grounding can be performed inside or outside, with or without grounding equipment. No matter how you choose to perform grounding, make sure that you’re always aware of your surroundings outside and use earthing equipment safely to reduce risks.
Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Extracted by Eleesha Lockett, MS on August 30, 2019 for Healthline.com