Grounding, or earthing, is the practice of walking barefoot on the ground proposed to help connect with the Earth's natural electrical energy. This comes from the idea that historically, we were connected with the Earth every day before we started wearing shoes. Grounding is suggested to be linked to a variety of potential benefits. To help us maintain this relationship, there are now various grounding products like grounding sheets, grounding mats, and other types of grounding therapy designed to be used for grounding indoors.
Here, we'll talk about the potential health benefits of grounding mats, different grounding techniques, and how to find the best grounding mat that may support your well-being.
What is a grounding mat?
A grounding mat is made of conductive materials designed to mimic the earth's surface electrons. Similar to yoga mats, earthing mats are designed to stand, sit, or lie on. The key is that you have direct physical contact, ideally direct skin contact, which is believed to be linked to potential health benefits.
Grounding mats can be used indoors and are marketed to provide direct contact with the 'earth's energy.' Standing or sitting on the conductive material is believed to allow us to easily get the benefits of grounding through our bare feet.
In addition to grounding mats, there are other grounding products like earthing or grounding sheets proposed to allow you to get the benefits of grounding while you sleep. Leather-soled shoes can also be used as an alternative to walking barefoot outside, as they do not entirely block the electrical charge of the earth's surface like rubber soles do.
How does a grounding mat work?
Grounding is based on the idea that we are made of energy and that direct contact with the earth's surface and natural electrical charge can help 'stabilize' the human body generating greater well-being. Since we now wear rubber-soled shoes, it's argued that we've lost the connection to the earth's energy, leading to some of the health implications we see today.
Grounding mats are proposed to work by promoting an electrical connection through physical connectivity to recreate the electrical charge of the earth's surface. This allows free electrons to flow through your body, creating a neutral electrical charge and a balanced state.
The mat is plugged into the grounding port of an electrical outlet, which creates the electrical connection that moves through the grounding mat. The ground port is the direct connection to the earth's electrical field, providing an emergency pathway of the electrical outlet if there is a short circuit or other electrical fault. Simply put, the ground port provides an electrical connection to the earth's electrical charge.
The best way to use a grounding mat is to incorporate it into your daily routine. Use it on a flat surface so you can stand on it evenly with your bare feet. Make sure you have direct contact with the bottom of your feet. It's best to start off slowly, using the mat for only a short amount of time at first to see how your body responds, then build up to longer periods of time, even overnight.
Grounding mat benefits
Grounding therapy has been suggested to be linked to a variety of health benefits and positive effects on the human body. Emerging research has been exploring the different ways that grounding mats may have positive biological effects on various health conditions and health overall.
The immune system
One of the biggest areas grounding is believed to influence is the immune system. Some early research studies have shown that grounding may support the body's immune response and help lower inflammation, improve wound healing, and is proposed to even help reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. It may also help regulate cortisol levels, improve sleep quality, and is reported to help in managing pain in patients with autoimmune disorders like Lupus.
In addition, oxidative stress plays a key role in chronic inflammation, and grounding mats are proposed to help neutralize free radicals through the free electrons that flow through the body. With chronic pain on the rise, grounding mats may be potential adjunctive medical therapy to help reduce pain for patients. However, currently, there is a lack of research to substantiate these claims.
Chronic pain
A pilot study found that participants with chronic muscle and joint pain who slept on a grounding mat for a month had significant improvements in their symptoms compared to the control group. Most subjects also reported significant changes in respiratory conditions like asthma, PMS, and hypertension when sleeping grounded. This was also suggested to be linked to lower levels of inflammation as that is often associated with chronic pain.
Another small-scale study reported that adding grounding mats to massage therapists' practice rooms led to a significant reduction in pain while seeing clients. Massage therapists also reported improved blood flow, heart rate variability, improved sleep, and inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting overall health benefits.
Sleep quality
Some preliminary studies on the effects of grounding reported that sleep quality is also often improved in response to other conditions being better managed. For instance, chronic pain symptoms can cause discomfort that interferes with sleep as well as issues like depression and anxiety.
A clinical study explored the potential benefits of grounding for improving sleep, anxiety, and depression in adults with Alzheimer's disease. Participants were split into two groups: treatment, where they used a real grounding mat; and control, those that used a mat that looked like a grounding mat. Participants all used their mats for 30 minutes, 5 times a week for 12 weeks. Those in the treatment group showed significant improvements in sleep quality, but no changes in depression and anxiety.
Nervous system and mood
Using a grounding mat has been proposed to have potential benefits on the nervous system as well. The electrical charge is hypothesized to help improve nervous system function, reduce stress, and help manage how the body responds to increased stress levels.
Practicing grounding has also been shown to have a positive impact on participants' moods compared to controls. Some study participants reported significantly improved mood after grounding for 1 hour. Outcomes included significant improvements in pleasant and positive mood and a significant reduction in negative mood and fatigue. Other health benefits have also been suggested, like hormone balancing, including thyroid hormone levels, and positively improving heart function to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors after grounding or walking barefoot on the earth.
Muscle soreness and damage
Limited research studies have also suggested that grounding may help with delayed onset muscle soreness and muscle damage. In one study, participants in a grounding group had significantly reduced muscle soreness and creatine kinase (CK) levels, a marker of muscle damage, and showed significant increases in platelets and neutrophils, suggesting an enhanced immune response.
How to choose the right grounding mat
Now that you know the benefits of grounding mats, how do you choose the one that's best for you? There are a few key things you may want to consider:
- Usage purpose. Knowing whether you want a mat to stand, sit, or sleep on will determine the type of product to buy.
- Size. Knowing how you want to use it will also help you decide the size and the space you want to use it in. If you want to ground when you sleep, grounding or earthing sheets can be an option.
- Compatibility and connectivity. Make sure you get a product that is certified and meets safety standards. You also want to make sure your mat or sheet can easily plug into a grounding outlet.
- Reviews. Reviews from customers who have used earthing products are a great way to learn about the best options from those with firsthand experience.
- Balancing cost. High cost doesn't necessarily mean high quality. Read reviews to find the best product for your needs and budget.
- Quality. Choose a product made from high-quality, durable materials like conductive carbon or silver fibers. These will last longer and give you maximum effectiveness.
There are a lot of great options for grounding mats in 2024. This could be a great place to start doing your research.
Potential side effects of grounding
While grounding and earthing are generally considered safe, there are a few things to consider before starting.
First, walking barefoot can put you at risk for cuts, bruises, or other injuries to your feet and toes. Be sure to look out for stones, sticks, and other sharp materials while walking outside. This risk should be minimal when grounding is done indoors.
In addition, indoor grounding should not be done during a lightning storm. While the risk is small, there is still a chance that lightning will strike the ground near you, causing a shock through the grounding port. Older buildings may also have faulty or poor grounding, which can put you at risk of getting an electrical shock.
Ultimately, avoid these risks, be sure to get a high-quality mat or sheet with safety certification, and do your research.
We'd love to hear about your experiences with grounding mats! Share your thoughts, questions, or personal stories in the comments section below. Your thoughts could help others on their journey to better health.
FAQ
When should you not use a grounding mat?
Grounding mats should not be used during thunderstorms, as there there is a small chance you could get an electric shock through the ground port if lightning strikes nearby.
Is it good to sleep on a grounding mat?
Sleeping on a grounding mat or sheet is a great way to expose your body to the potential benefits of grounding for an extended period. Research suggests that this could lead to better sleep quality and reduced stress levels.
How long does it take to see results from grounding?
While more research needs to be done to know exactly how long you need to ground to get the benefits, some studies say that you can notice positive changes after just 30 minutes.
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Grounding, also known as earthing, involves walking barefoot on natural surfaces to harness the benefits of the Earth's electromagnetic field.
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This practice has been suggested to offer numerous potential benefits, including reduced stress and inflammation, improved blood flow, enhanced muscle repair and recovery, and elevated mood, among others.
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To improve this connection, grounding mats have been developed, allowing us to experience the potential benefits of walking barefoot while indoors.
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These mats can be used at home, work, or any location that is convenient, enabling easy access to the potential health advantages of grounding.
9 resources
- Explore. Integrative and lifestyle medicine strategies should include Earthing (grounding): Review of research evidence and clinical observations.
- Journal of Telecommunication, Electronic and Computer Engineering. Classification of EEG signal for body earthing application.
- The Journal of Inflammation Research. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
- Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the earth′s surface electrons.
- Explore. The effects of grounding (earthing) on bodyworkers’ pain and overall quality of life: a randomized controlled trial.
- Medical Hypotheses. The neuromodulative role of earthing.
- Psychological Reports. The effect of grounding the human body on mood.
- Journal of Sports Medicine. Grounding after moderate eccentric contractions reduces muscle damage.
- Healthcare. Grounding the body improves sleep quality in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease: a pilot study.
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