Overview
This page covers grounding, also called earthing: the practice of direct skin contact with the earth, or with conductive systems linked to the ground. It describes where the idea came from, the physical claims that practitioners and proponents make for it, and the controlled and uncontrolled studies that have tested those claims. The word grounding also has a separate meaning in psychology, where it names techniques used in therapy for anxiety and dissociation. That psychological sense is noted here only to keep it apart from the physical practice.
Where does Grounding come from?
Early observations and the 1990s revival
The idea that contact with the ground affects the body is usually traced to observations about sleep. A 2012 narrative review by Chevalier and colleagues says that people who slept better when grounded prompted a physician, G. White, to investigate the effect in the 1920s. The review gives no further detail on that early work, and the sources read for this page do not add to it.
The modern form of the idea dates to the late 1990s. The same review says that Clint Ober, described there as a retired cable television executive, and the researchers K. and P. Sokal tested grounding experimentally at that time. Ober drew an analogy with grounded electrical systems, and the Sokals described grounding as a universal regulating factor in nature. These dates and attributions come from one secondary account, and this page reports them as that account's statements.
The 2010 book and the movement
The 2012 review cites a 2010 book by Clint Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra and Martin Zucker, published by Basic Health Publications in Laguna Beach, California, under the title Earthing. According to the review, the book presents its research together with many anecdotal reports. Writers and practitioners in the wellness field have since used the term earthing for the practice, and this page uses the term grounding for the same practice.
Most of the trials and reviews cited on this page share one or more authors with the early publications of this group. Chevalier appears among the authors of the 2010, 2012 and 2018 studies cited here. Readers who want to judge the research should check the author affiliations and conflict-of-interest statements of each paper, because the field has grown around a small set of authors and promoters.
What do the names and terms mean?
Earthing and grounding
Earthing and grounding are used for the same physical practice. The 2012 review uses earthing as its main term and gives grounding as the alternative name, and a 2019 narrative review describes earthing as also known as grounding. In this sense the terms refer to direct contact of the body with the earth's surface, or to conductive systems that connect the body to the ground.
The two names are used interchangeably in the literature read for this page. The term biological grounding also appears in some reports, and this page lists it as an alternative name. None of the sources read for this page uses grounding to mean the psychological techniques described below, so the two senses should not be merged when reading the evidence.
Grounding in psychology
In psychology and trauma care, grounding techniques are a different set of practices. A 2025 critical review by Hammond and Brown states that grounding techniques are frequently cited in clinical settings as a primary approach to attenuate dissociative episodes during treatment sessions. The same review reports that these techniques have not been subjected to efficacy studies, partly because there has been no agreed measurable operational definition.
The review analyzed how the term is used across 19 sources selected from a literature search. It sorted them by whether they defined, mentioned or described grounding techniques, and it proposed an operational definition with an emphasis on physiological equilibrium, along with tentative guidelines for therapeutic use. The psychological evidence is therefore about a clinical method with an unresolved definition, and it does not test the physical practice of earthing discussed in the rest of this page.
What does Grounding involve?
Forms of contact
The practice takes two main forms. The first is walking barefoot outdoors, usually on soil, sand or grass. The second is using conductive systems indoors, such as sheets, mats or patches linked by a wire to a grounding point, while sitting, working or sleeping. A 2019 narrative review describes both forms in these terms, and the 2012 review describes the same two settings.
The research reports describe the set-up in more detail. In a trial of massage therapists, grounding was defined as direct body contact with the ground, such as walking barefoot on humid soil or on grass, and the therapists were grounded while working and at home while sleeping. In a physiological study, subjects had conductive patches on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands, with wires running to a stainless-steel rod set in the earth outdoors.
The electron hypothesis
Proponents explain the physical effects by proposing that the earth's surface carries a supply of free electrons, and that the body can take up those electrons when it is connected to the ground. The 2012 review presents the practice as reconnecting the body with the electrons of the earth's surface. A 2025 review by Kshirsagar and colleagues describes grounding as allowing negatively charged electrons to be absorbed into the body.
The mechanism is a hypothesis in these sources rather than a measured result. The studies cited here recorded outcomes such as blood viscosity, creatine kinase, pain and mood, and none of the abstracts read for this page reports a measurement of electron transfer into the body. The electron account therefore explains the claims but does not yet have direct evidence behind it.
What is Grounding used for?
Physical and sleep claims
Practitioners and proponents describe grounding as reducing inflammation, pain and stress, improving blood flow, energy and sleep, and generating greater well-being. A 2019 narrative review by Menigoz, Latz and Ely presents these effects as established in the reviewed studies. Its authors argue that earthing deserves a place in preventive, alternative and lifestyle medicine.
Claims about sleep and pain also come from earlier and smaller reports. The 2012 review lists better sleep and reduced pain among the benefits of earthing. The 2010 and 2015 reports describe changes in pain, blood markers and circulating cells in small groups. These statements are the claims of their authors and are not outcomes of any diagnosed condition.
Specific conditions
Some proponents extend the claims to chronic disease. A 2025 review of Alzheimer's disease by Kshirsagar and colleagues discusses possible effects of grounding on oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, cortisol and sleep quality. The review describes the evidence as preliminary and says that robust clinical trials are needed in that population.
A small study in mild Alzheimer's disease, described in its abstract as placebo-controlled, reported improved sleep quality, anxiety and depression after 12 weeks of grounding. Twenty-two patients enrolled and 15 completed the intervention. The same abstract lists inflammation, blood pressure, pain and wound healing among the effects reported in earlier grounding research, and those earlier claims are attributed to those reports.
What does the research show?
Controlled trials
The most rigorous designs found in the searches are small. A stepped wedge randomized trial in 16 massage therapists reported that over six weeks, pain, physical function, fatigue and depressed mood improved while the therapists were grounded, compared with the weeks they were not. Some effects were still reported one month after the study. The outcomes were self-reported questionnaires in a group of 16, and the abstract does not report a control for other changes in work or sleep.
A randomized study of 32 men found that those grounded for four hours after a set of eccentric exercises had a smaller rise in creatine kinase on the second day than sham-grounded men, and both groups reported pain on the test days. A double-blind study of 28 adults with sham sessions recorded skin conductance, respiration, pulse and oxygen measures during grounding and reported immediate changes. The authors call for further research. The abstracts do not show that these measured changes are clinically meaningful.
Pilot and uncontrolled studies
Other reports are pilots with very small samples. One pilot with eight healthy men, four grounded and four treated identically with the grounding systems not connected to the earth, tracked blood and muscle markers after exercise-induced soreness, and reported differences in several of them. A 2012 study of 10 healthy adults measured red blood cell clumping and electrical charge during two hours of grounding and reported less clumping. The abstract does not describe a control group. These designs can show that a change occurred, but they cannot show that grounding caused a clinical outcome.
A double-blind pilot of 40 adults found that pleasant and positive moods improved more in a grounded group than in a sham-grounded group during one hour in a recliner, and the authors state that more extensive studies are warranted. The 12-week Alzheimer's pilot, with 15 completers, is also too small to estimate an effect with any precision. Their size and design limit what they show.
Reviews and the state of the evidence
Several reviews have been published, but those found in the searches are narrative reviews rather than systematic reviews. A 2019 narrative review in Explore says that some 20 studies have reported intriguing evidence of physiological improvement and argues for inclusion in clinical practice. The 2012 review, which includes Chevalier among its authors, describes the earthing research and its potential clinical importance. Neither abstract describes a search strategy or a risk-of-bias assessment.
The searches run for this page found no systematic review or meta-analysis of grounding trials, and found no independent replication of the main trial outcomes in the results read. A 2025 review of Alzheimer's disease calls the preliminary evidence promising and states that robust trials are needed. The overall evidence is small, comes largely from overlapping author groups, and varies in design quality. It does not establish that grounding changes any clinical outcome.
What are the safety considerations?
Soil and barefoot contact
The best-documented hazard of barefoot contact with the ground is infection. The CDC states that hookworm infection spreads primarily by walking barefoot on contaminated soil, and it advises wearing shoes when walking on soil that may be contaminated with human feces. Hookworm larvae hatch in soil and penetrate the skin, and one species can also spread when larvae are swallowed.
The CDC page notes that prescription medicines, such as albendazole and mebendazole, treat soil-transmitted helminth infections. The searches run for this page did not find verified sources on injuries from sharp or uneven ground surfaces, so this page gives no frequency for those events. Barefoot contact with unknown ground carries these infection risks whether or not it forms part of a grounding routine.
Devices, study limits and care boundaries
No verified source on the electrical safety of grounding mats or sheets was found in the searches, so the safety of mains-connected or grounding devices is not assessed here. None of the abstracts read for this page reports a safety outcome, and the trials were small. Absence of reported harm in small pilots does not establish that the practice is safe for all people.
Grounding is not a substitute for necessary medical care. People with persistent pain, sleep disturbance, cognitive change or anxiety should have these assessed by a clinician, and the reviews read for this page describe the evidence in these areas as preliminary. The psychological grounding techniques used in clinical settings are part of a clinical method with an unresolved definition, and this page does not describe them as instructions.
Connected Entries
Showing 8 of 14 related records.
Classification and context
- Entry type
- Modality
- Practice type
- Body-contact practice with the earth or conductive grounding systems
- Traditions
- Earthing movement of the 2000s and 2010s, associated with Clint Ober and colleagues
- Concepts
- Direct contact of the body with the earth's surface, Walking barefoot outdoors, Conductive sheets, mats and patches used indoors, Electrons from the earth (proponent hypothesis), Psychological grounding techniques are a separate term
- Categories
- Holistic, Complementary
Sources and discovery context
Research and public-health sources support evidence and safety context. Directory and discovery sources describe navigation, relationships, practitioners, and access—not clinical efficacy.
A small stepped wedge trial reported improvements in self-rated outcomes during grounding periods.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported self-rated pain, function and mood changes in 16 therapists over six weeks. Must not be read as evidence for any clinical condition or for long-term effects.
- Supports sections
- Research and Evidence, Practice Description, Safety and Suitability, History and Origins
A double-blind experiment with sham sessions recorded immediate physiological changes during grounding.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported immediate changes in five physiological measures during grounding in 28 adults. Must not be read as showing clinical benefit or long-term effects.
- Supports sections
- Research and Evidence, Safety and Suitability
A double-blind pilot reported improved mood during a single grounded session compared with a sham condition.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported mood improvement in 40 adults during a single one-hour session. Must not be read as evidence about long-term mood or any mood disorder.
- Supports sections
- Research and Evidence, Practice Description
A randomized study in young men reported a smaller creatine kinase rise after grounding than after sham grounding.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported difference in creatine kinase after eccentric exercise in 32 healthy men. Must not be read as showing benefit for injury, recovery in clinical populations, or pain outcomes beyond what the abstract states.
- Supports sections
- Research and Evidence, Claimed Uses, Safety and Suitability
A small pilot reported differences in several blood and muscle markers between grounded and control groups.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the statement that a pilot reported differences in several blood and muscle markers. Must not be read as evidence of effect on soreness or recovery.
- Supports sections
- Research and Evidence, Claimed Uses
A ten-person study reported reduced red blood cell clumping during a grounding session.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported change in red blood cell charge and clumping during two hours of grounding in 10 adults. Must not be read as evidence of effects on cardiovascular risk or events.
- Supports sections
- Practice Description, Research and Evidence
A small placebo-controlled pilot in mild Alzheimer's disease reported sleep and mood changes over 12 weeks.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the reported sleep, anxiety and depression changes in 15 completers over 12 weeks. Must not be read as evidence for slowing disease or for any Alzheimer's treatment.
- Supports sections
- Claimed Uses, Research and Evidence
A narrative review states that some 20 studies have reported physiological improvements and recommends clinical inclusion.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports what the review authors state about the practice and about the number of studies they cite. Must not be read as a systematic appraisal of the evidence, and its advocacy tone should be noted.
- Supports sections
- Practice Description, Claimed Uses, Research and Evidence, Terminology
A narrative review by researchers in the field describes the history and the research on grounding.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the review's own account of the practice's origins and its list of studies. Must not be read as a verified history, a systematic review, or independent evidence of effect.
- Supports sections
- History and Origins, Terminology, Practice Description, Claimed Uses
A 2025 review presents grounding for Alzheimer's disease as a preliminary, hypothesis-based approach needing trials.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the review's description of the mechanisms it proposes and its statement that the evidence is preliminary. Must not be read as evidence that grounding affects Alzheimer's disease.
- Supports sections
- Claimed Uses, Research and Evidence, Practice Description, Safety and Suitability
A critical review of psychological grounding techniques reports that they lack an agreed definition and efficacy studies.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the statements about the psychological sense of grounding, its use in clinical settings, and the lack of an operational definition. Must not be read as evidence about the physical practice of earthing.
- Supports sections
- Terminology, Safety and Suitability, Practice Description
A CDC page describes hookworm transmission through barefoot contact with contaminated soil and advises footwear.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Supports the statements about hookworm transmission through barefoot contact with contaminated soil, footwear advice, and prescription treatment. Must not be read as a statement about earthing or about ground injuries.
- Supports sections
- Safety and Suitability
Links to Gyfts Grounding page for this practice, for discovery only. The platform's descriptions and claims are not independent claims. Machipedia does not rely on them for evidence.
How this source relates
- Source link
- Exact source page
- Relationship
- Links to Gyfts' page for this practice, for discovery only. The platform's descriptions and claims are not independent evidence, and nothing on this Machipedia page relies on them.
- Supports sections
- Practice Description