The Surprising Science of Touching the Earth

Who knew the secret to stress relief was all this time hiding in your socks? In a world dominated by the artificial, heating, air conditioning, electronics, and endless hours of sitting, when was the last time your bare feet touched the earth? Once a year at the beach? 

We didn’t always live this way. Think back to those childhood summers - running barefoot across grass, rolling down hills, collapsing into sleep completely spent. There’s a reason for that. It’s called earthing, or grounding, and it may be more than just nostalgic; it could be profoundly beneficial or, as some say, even "life changing." 

Earthing is far from a modern fad. For millennia, indigenous cultures understood the value of direct contact with the earth - sleeping on the ground, walking barefoot, and constructing homes from natural materials that allowed the body to harmonize with the earth’s energy.

Scientific studies now suggest a compelling mechanism: the earth carries a negative electrical charge, and when our skin makes direct contact, the body absorbs electrons that neutralize free radicals. Research in electrical engineering confirms that the human body stabilizes electrically when grounded, and imaging technologies such as infrared scans (see below) reveal reductions in inflammation after grounding sessions. 

The Studies

Exciting research shows that grounding seems to reduce levels of certain inflammatory markers, alter white blood cell counts, and speed wound healing.

One double-blind pilot (40 adults) found that 1-hour grounding significantly improved “pleasant and positive mood” vs a sham grounding.

In another study, Ghaly & Teplitz found that sleeping on grounded sheets helped reset cortisol rhythms and dramatically improved sleep quality.

Chevalier and colleagues went further, showing in a series of small randomized and blinded trials that even a single hour of grounding could lower inflammatory markers, boost blood flow, and trigger shifts in brain waves, blood glucose, thyroid hormones, electrolytes, and proteins, suggesting whole-body effects.

In sports science, Brown et al. (2015) reported that grounded athletes recovered faster from intense workouts, with less soreness, lower creatine kinase, and healthier blood profiles.

While Müller (2019) and Lin (2022) observed similar gains in recovery and sleep among participants using grounded bedding.

Other investigations have hinted at accelerated wound healing, stronger immune responses, and reduced pain. [1 2]

Even animal studies [1 2] echo these results: rodents exposed to grounding showed lower pro-inflammatory cytokines and sharper cognitive performance.

Recent narrative and integrative reviews (2022–2024) [1 2 3]now argue that, although the data are still preliminary and mostly small-scale, the evidence consistently points to benefits for sleep, pain, inflammation, recovery, and possibly other health outcomes.

Thermal images taken half an hour apart of a patient with pain in both knees. Before (left) and after Earthing (right). "Tissue damage generates heat, represented by the hot colors on the left. The difference shows a clear and rapid resolution of inflammation."

Reduction in inflammation for an 85-year-old man after sleeping grounded for two nights. Arrows identify the inflammation. After four weeks he said his pain was totally gone, and "I have my life back." 

Evidence from both scientific studies and anecdotal observations highlights the far-reaching benefits of Earthing for the body.