What is grounding?

Grounding, also called earthing, is a technique some people use to connect their physical bodies to the earth's electrical energy. Planet Earth has a negative electric charge. Scientists believe that there is a transfer of free electrons to the human body during grounding.

 

This electrical conduction may lead to various physical effects, including pain reduction, better immune response, wound healing, lower inflammation, and possible prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Image of a woman walking barefoot in a field.

 

Benefits of Grounding 

Grounding and its health benefits have existed for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, Aboriginal cultures, and Indigenous communities. In the 1800s, well-known German scientists began proposing walking barefoot for health benefits. Today, grounding examples of grounding can be found across TikTok, YouTube, and other popular forms of social media.

Beyond legend and anecdotal evidence, a growing body of research supports and explores the physiological effects and possible health benefits of grounding.

Some health benefits of grounding that have been studied include:

  • Improved mood
  • Increased heart rate variability
  • Improved blood flow
  • Improved immune system function (particularly the concentrations of white blood cells and cytokines)
  • Reduced post-exertion muscle soreness
  • Reduced pain
  • Improved sleep quality (deeper and more restorative sleep)
  • Boosted metabolic rate
  • Reduced inflammation
  • Reduced autoimmune signaling
  • Disease prevention (particularly inflammatory and autoimmune conditions)
  • Reduced stress
  • Improved wound healing
  • Improved physical function and energy
  • Decreased fatigue and tiredness


 

There are many conducted studies and articles which study the effectiveness of grounding. We have listed some of them here for you. Click the link to open.

 

Grounding articles & studies:

  1. Clinical Massage and Grounding as interventions in the treatment of chronic low back pain 2021
  2. One-Hour Contact with the Earth’s Surface (Grounding) Improves Inflammation and Blood Flow—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Study 2015
  3. Effectiveness of Grounded Sleeping on Recovery after Intensive Eccentric Muscle Loading 2019
  4. Grounding Patients With Hypertension Improves Blood Pressure: A Case History Series Study 2018
  5. Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine Strategies Should Include Grounding (Grounding): Review of Research Evidence and Clinical Observations 2020
  6. Health Effects of Alkaline Diet and Water, Reduction of Digestive-tract Bacterial Load, and Grounding 2016
  7. Prevention and Treatment of Influenza, Influenza-Like Illness, and Common Clod by Herbal, Complementary, and Natural Therapies 2017
  8. The Effect of Grounding the Human Body on Mood 2015
  9. Grounding the Human Body Improves Facial Blood Flow Regulation 2014
  10. The Biologic Effects of Grounding the Human Body During Sleep as Measured by Cortisol Levels and Subjective Reporting of Sleep, Pain, and Stress 2004
  11. The Effect Of Grounding On Human Physiology, Part 1 2006
  12. The Effect Of Grounding On Human Physiology, Part 2 2007
  13. Prevention and Treatment of Influenza, Influenza-Like Illness, and Common Clod by Herbal, Complementary, and Natural Therapies 2017
  14. The Effects of Grounding (Grounding) on Inflammation, Immune Response, Wound Healing, and Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases 2015
  15. Grounding the Human Organism Influences Bioelectrical Processes 2012