Earthing anyone ?
 

Has anyone heard about Earthing ?

There is a book about how our bodies are suffering because we don't spend enough time in contact with the earth's surface (like going barefoot) and a line of grounding matts (putting you in electrical balance with the earth's surface thus driving the free radicals from your body.

My sister just gave me an Earthing kit for an early xmas present.

I am about half way through the book and using the pad a few hours per day. I don't have 3 prong outlets throughout my house, so I am limited to where I can use it.

First night, I swear I felt better.......and that was Thanksgiving night. I usually need extra pain meds after being up and about, but I didn't that night. I also made it to Walmart 4 to 6 am without meds. I went to bed again at 6:30 and woke up later with a miserable cold (my kids were sick earlier in the week. So......it's hard to tell now how/if it's working. I am a skeptic by nature. I'll keep you posted.

I have never heard of this but I would think even if not for the body for the mind it may help. It may be a good outlet. That in turn helps to cope with the pain. When I did biofeedback recently I don't think it helped with the physical pain but do feel it helped mentally. You know at Walmart or similar they have those 3 prong outlets you can buy I think to attatch to your outlet. They are inexpensive. Keep us updated

The three pronged is called an adapter...You can get them anywhere, I hope this helps. Where did your sister buy this, it would be interesting to see how it would work for my daughter.

Good luck,
Sandy

just google 'earthing'

Earthing
 

I happened to see your posts re Earthing. I co-authored the book. This is something very special with great healing promise. Regarding your outlet situation, if the outlet is only two prongs, an adapter won't work. The Earthing systems do not "run" on electricity. They operate solely on the basis of transference of the Earth's subtle, natural energy from the Earth to the body. This is accomplished through the use of a simple ground rod placed in the Earth outside the window of a bedroom or through the ground port (third hole) of a properly grounded wall outlet. So if the outlet is not grounded, you need to find one in your home that is, or have an electrician come in to ground the outlet(s). Or, use a ground rod. These issues are explained in detail in our book on Earthing, available through commercial book sellers like** It is best to read the book first as it describes the fascinating story of this important discovery and the significant benefits it offers.
Martin Zucker
Co-author of the Earthing book

Sounds logical to me
 

While spending more time with our bodies in direct contact with mother earth is a new spin, it makes perfect sense to me since I know how much better we feel in both mind and body when we've spent some time outside with everything that's bursting with life instead of staying cooped up inside all the time in our perfectly heated and cooled hermetically sealed homes.

My wife felt so strongly about it not being healthy to stay indoors all the time we finally broke down and purchased a UTV (an ATV buggy where you sit side by side instead) last week. While it's going to prove to be a great work horse for getting chores accomplished around our property, the main reason we got it was just so that I'd have a way of bombing around and drinking in the beautiful world around us.

Yesterday some friends on their ATV and us in our UTV went out for a ride where we saw bald eagles (plus we found their nest) and all sorts of other critters while putting along at around 20 mph. It was just plain fun! Just because we've got physical disabilities doesn't mean we still can't figure out ways to still go out and enjoy this beautiful earth we live on - except some times we just have to get a bit more creative about how we figure out the solutions. Come spring I think I'll find it hard to stay inside anymore. Now who's coming along for the ride?:winky:

Sounds similar to something I read about walking barefoot on the beach/ surf, kind of along the lines of positive/negative ions and such...
That was how i came across that information - I was looking for info on pos/neg ions.

I wish I had bookmarked that info..
walking barefoot on the beach/surf supposedly is very good for the body in a ionic cleansing/balancing way.
Something to do with the natural sea salts and the motion of the surf and being barefoot.

If you read about those ionic cleanse machines some of those sites have the theory about how it works..
I know the machines may or may not be a bit of a scam, but walking in the surf if you are near the ocean is free and mentally calming too.

If you believe in it, i don't see what harm it would do.

The surf story
 

You are right about the power of the surf, and really the ocean, to provide a healing "vibe." In our book, Earthing:The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?" my co-authors (one is a cardiologist) and I discuss the nature of the transference of energy that occurs when people make direct barefoot contact with the Earth. It is an amazing grace that Mother Earth has given us all. It doesn't have to be the surf or sand either. Right there, beneath our feet...backyards, parks, dirt, gravel, stone, concrete...lies a wonderful and natural treatment table. Just go out and sit or stand or walk (weather permitting, of course) for 40 minutes or so and see the difference in how you feel. If you have pain or stress, notice at the end of the time how much better you feel. This is something very remarkable, very natural, very healing. Most of our society has disconnected from the Earth. We wear insulated shoes of rubber and plastic, and we live on wood and vinyl floors, elevated from the Earth, that keep us separated from the Earth's surface energy. Our book is all about getting reconnected and the many significant benefits that come with it.
Martin Zucker

Wow !

I'm both thrilled and honored that you have joined our discussion Mr Zucker.

I have a strange question about an earthing product for you. I just have the mat now, but I am considering the bed sheet. Because of my RSD ( and possibly hormonal issues....I am a 45 yo woman) I sweat profusely at times. Other than the need to wash the pad protector frequently, would there be a problem with ruining the sheet pad from sweat ?

I will be getting an adapter so that I can get grounded in my bedroom too.

I wanted to post an update of my results too........

My disclaimer is that I've had a nasty cold since I've started my earthing 'experiment', so I've been in bed a lot, which by itself helps my neck feel better, but.......drumroll, please.......I haven't taken pain med in 48 hours !

Tomorrow will be a real test as I am hoping to get out and do some Christmas shopping.....we'll see how that goes.

So far, I am just amazed to report......earthing seems to be helping !

The 'high' that comes from walking the beach or just hanging out barefoot is certainly something I have experienced. The grounding explanation for this does make sense to me, but the contrarian in me (and I mean no offense by this) is still skeptical. Maybe we just feel better at the beach and hanging out barefoot because those are periods of relaxation. Maybe the joy is just because we have committed to NOT worrying about household chores and other things we 'should' be doing. I'm thinking of fun times spent camping with friends, all sitting around the campfire and enjoying cocktails.......Do I feel better then simply because I am enjoying the company of friends or is it because I have kicked off my flip flops ?

I can tell you I am not happy that barefoot weather is over for this year in New England !

I will keep you all updated on my results. If something so simple can help us with out pain.......that's just earth shattering !

I'm off to read a little more of the book.......take care all

I am very happy for your progress but dont quite understand how this works. I was a normal 42 yr old woman going in for gallbladder surgery, 2 weeks later i am doubled over in pain, abdomen swelling out of control and the doctors throwing all kinds of meds at me. I know if i want to know more buy the book. just making a general statement of confusion.
look forward to hearing more of your progress.
Lori

I just checked my local library and they have the book, but right now it is checked out.
So check for it at your library - ours has a searchable online website/data base - it is so handy saves a trip or a phone call. :cool:

Sweat shouldn't be a problem.
Wonder what you mean by an adapter.
**
This is a fascinating and amazing discovery...we don't know a lot of the answers yet...but what we do know is darn exciting.
Best wishes
Martin Zucker

Lori,

The general gist of it is......our modern day lack of direct contact with the earth contributes to many health problems because of inflammation. Plugging back into the earth (called earthing or grounding), in theory, reverses that inflammatory process.

The free radicals (positively charged) in our bodies serve a purpose in battling infection and acute injury, but can go haywire attacking healthy tissue and causing inflammation. Grounding allows us to pick up negatively charged electrons from the earth's surface to disarm the free radicals

Grounding can be accomplishedthrough the use of the available products which you plug into the little hole in a 3 pronged outlet (the grounding portion of the outlet that keeps appliances from getting fried) OR by the totally free alternative of just being in direct contact with the earth (by going barefoot or laying down on the grass or in the sand).

The theory is that many of our health issues happen because we wear shoes with rubber/plastic soles when we are outside and live/work in insulated buildings, so we have not been getting grounded by the earth as our ancestors were.

It seems to make a lot of sense, but I still have a lot of problems with the logic.....like why do wild animals still get cancer when they live near pollution if they are grounded 24/7 ? Shouldn't there be less illness in warmer locales where it is possible to go barefoot more ? Points to ponder.......

Lori.......here's more info by one of the authors of the book http://www.esdjournal.com/articles/cober/earth.htm


What is really getting me excited about this concept, as I read more of the book, is that the authors all seem excited just to share their theories and educate people. They are not saying "you must buy these products" or "everyone must buy and read this book." Their approach is really more about just telling everyone that you know to go touch the earth !

The chapter I just read talked about the potential uses, suggesting that mattress manufacturers should start putting pads into their mattresses. That would kill the sales of the Barefoot Connections Ped Bads, but they reommend it ! The book also discusses the hope that their will be widespread use of grounding shoes, for when going barefoot is impractical. Barefoot Connections doesn't make grounding shoes. Other companies do, for people who work in electrically sensitive areas. Most of the ones I saw were hideous 'orthopedic' shoes, but I did see some cute clogs. I've also been finding some cheaper alternatives for grounding pads. Apparently, they are needed in some industries and also used by people with expensive computer equipment to be anti static.

I'm just really impressed by the apparent lack of financial incentive the authors take in their approach. Maybe I've seen too many infomercials, but I'm very used to any new gimmick coming with a big price tag. This new 'gimmick' is saying "this health benefit is FREE, just do it !"

Wow !

Just to be clear.....the book doesn't claim being grounded will cure anything. It's just premoting the idea that more direct contact with the earth can help our bodies return to a more natural grounded state that should help fight free radicals and decrease inflammation.

Thank you SO much for breaking this down for me. What you are saying does make sense. I have read articles about how all of the electrical appliances in our homes can take away our energy and it especially pointed out that we should never use an electric blanket!

I am all for trying new things and especially something like this that would be so easy to do.
Thanks bunches
Lori

Electrical fields, read about EMF {electro magnetic field} for more info on that.

http://www.google.com/search?q=EMF&i...c48c66f0d3c525

Animals in the wild do much much better than domesticated animals. Ask any large animal vet.

We believe that the inflammation belt develops stronger the further you get away from the tropics. For instance, there is more MS in the U.S. and Canada and Europe than there is in the tropics where people are out and about more and have more contact with the Earth.

The logic in all this is beautiful and repeatedly validated by the testimonials we receive from people all over the world. More science is coming along, further validating this concept.

Martin Zucker, co-author of the Earthing book

Finz

The implications for Earthing are massive. Steve Sinatra, the cardiologist with whom I co-authored the book, describes this as the greatest breakthrough in his 40 years of practicing medicine.

This concept fires me up every day when I get emails or telephone calls from people who have started to ground themselves and tell me what you are telling the people in this forum. "Oh my God, my pain is gone" or "practically gone."

The more inflammation that somebody has, like in an auto-immune condition, the more there is to gain from this. Contact with the Earth reduces inflammation!!!!!!
How many exclamation points can I put after that fact. This is a law of Nature that has been discovered or re-discovered or re-enlivened. Modern society has disconnected itself from Nature in so many ways. Not just the food we eat, and our lack or physical activity, but the energy that exists right under our feet...our primordial connection with Mother Earth. Nature put us on Earth and we evolved with a connection to it that somehow...and wonderfully...regulates the bioelectrical systems that run our bodies...and controls the inflammation in our bodies.

This is a landmark concept. Doubt it. Be skeptical. Don't believe it. Think it is hogwash. All well and good. But if you have chronic pain or a headache or feel lousy and stressed, go outside (if weather permits) and plant your barefeet on the dirt, grass, gravel, stone, sand, concrete and sit there for 40 minutes or so. At the end of that time you will become a believer. The Earth is electric! And that natural, subtle electric energy on the surface of the Earth can help restore your natural bioelectrical state and reduce your pain and help you sleep better and accelerate healing from injury.

Not everybody will go outside barefooted and certainly not in the winter. For that reason conductive products have been made that people can use when they sleep or work inside. Whether somebody buys them or not, is not important. What is important is for all of us to reconnect to this missing link in the health equation, something so utterly simple, right there on the ground under our feet.

Jo-Mar
The Earth's energy trumps electromagnetic fields (EMFs). It is explained by physics. You aren't affected by them,if you are at all, when you are grounded (connected to the Earth). The Earth's energy (ground) stabilizes electrical systems all over the world. When we connect our bodies to the same Earth (ground), the electrical systems in our body appear also to be stabilized. That's what our research shows. Our nervous system shifts from a sympathetic (more stressed) mode to a parasympathetic (more calming) mode. There are EEG signals that show greater efficiency. We are biolectrical beings who need this primordial contact with the Earth.
Martin Zucker

Another update on my earthing......

Biggest result is that I am sleeping much better and when I wake up, I actually feel like I've slept. I haven't felt that way in 6 years !

My parents got a pad on Thanksgiving when I did. Dad reports he has been sleeping much better too. Last night, he had my mom try it out and dad says he didn't feel as good when he woke up this morning. Mom says she fell asleep faster than usual last night, but still thinks 'this is all a little foolish.' My dad, a civil engineer with extensive electrical experience also, is impressed by the science behind the earthing theory. He wants to 'upgrade' to the bed pad too.

Go earthing !

My pain level has improved overall. I am pretty comfortable as long as I do nothing (3 or 4 compared with 5 or 6 before). I am flaring when I 'do' much at all, but seem to be recovering quicker after overdoing things.....like going to pick out our Christmas tree today.

Dear Finz

I am so very happy for you! Along time ago i had plantar facitis which is a painful tendon on the bottom of your foot. I bought magnetic soles for my shoes and the pain was gone 100% and has never returned even after i stopped wearing the soles. anyone i gave them to had the same result. But what i came to understand is that the magnets only reached about an inch into my body from where ever the magnet was placed. So i never got the magnetic mattress or other products. I have heard of people sleeping better with them too. But when i had fibromyalgia which is a painful muscle disorder, magnets didnt help it.
Im not sure what to make of all this but anything with enough proof is worth a try to freedom!

thank you for keeping us posted.
Lori

Lori
We have had some wonderful feedback from folks with fibromyalgia. You might want to give it a try. The lady who transcribes for me has fibromyalgia. I got her grounded. She has slept on an Earthing sheet now for over a year and that has kept the pain level down significantly.
Happy holidays

Martin,

i have internal RSD and have at least 70lbs of swelling on the right side of my abdomen. its a mess caused by 2 abdominal surgeries. do you know of any cases that the swelling has gone down as much as i have?

im sorry if i missed this somewhere...do you sell these Earthing sheets you have mentioned?
Thank you
Lori

Lori.....you can order them online through Amazon, Ebay, or directly from shop.earthing.net

I have been interested in the bedpad for a queensize bed which is $139. There are also full sheet sets (for any size bed) available in the $250 range.

I'm not going for the full sheet set because the pa must be in contact with your skin and my head is on a pillow, body has a nightgown, so only my legs/feet would be exposed.....so the bed pad will fit my needs and will be cheaper. Because I sweat so much in the trunk neck area, I'd also prefer not to sweat on the metalic thread sheet that covers the bedpad and sheet set, cause then I'd have to wash it more and the sheets might not handle more than a few hundred washings.

I'm using my regular mat in bed now, but finding when ever I get up to go to the bathroom, my dog has suddenly moved in the bed to directly ontop of my mat. I swear she can feel something different and is drawn to it. On that note, wanted to add that the mat doesn't 'do' anything. My mom was waiting for it to heat up or something (it looks kind of like a heating pad).. felt a little tingly from it at first, but now I don't.

I was planning on buying myself the bed pa, as well as one for my s-i-l who is battling stage 4 breat CA with brain mets, and possibly some for my parents too. I talked it over with mom and dad to guage their interest and surprise (yay me!) they are going to buy mine for me for a Christmas gift.

You know how I said my dad was the king of the skeptics ? They are passing their 1 mat back and forth to 'share' it. They usually sleep in sperate rooms d/t snoring issues, so I was thinking they'd need 2 queen size bed pads. Now they are being thrifty an only buying one for their house now, "to make sure it's really as good as we think it is" before 'investing' in the second bed ped. lol, they crack me up.

If you are really interested, you might want to check out ebay. I was bidding on a few gently used be pads.....one ended up selling for $77 and one over $100. Still a little cheaper than the $139. There was also one Canadian seller on ebay.....here's the link http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...RK:MESINDXX:IT that is selling them for $115 plus $10 shipping (and $5 more for each additional one)

To be honest.....and show my thrifty side, I've also found other grounding mats on ebay and elsewhere on the net that are much cheaper. They have funkier connections to your power source though and I did read somewhere (I've been googling this A LOT) that they don't work as well. They are used by people working in electronics and with expensive computer equipment to ground themselves so the static they carry won't screw up the equipment. They are also called anti static pads. I did buy a few to try on my kids beds......one is a football player and into lifting weights and the other has asthma. Figured I'd see if they see a difference before investing more.

My biggest cost with this won't benefit barefoot connections at all....I have become more determined than ever to buy a condo in Florida where I can just be barefoot at the beach more ! Just gotta get the kids through high school and goodbye cold New England winters !

Oh, and my 'results' update. Slept over a friend's house last night without my mat and slept like crap. I really do fin that I sleep more soundly while grounded. I have been having some higher pain issues because I have been doing things.....ie, going to a few stores xmas shopping, driving to my friend's house, wrapping presents. Those pain flares seem the same as 'usual' but I seem to be recovering better. For example, usually after driving to my friend's house (1/2 hour away) and going shopping with her and sleeping over there (because I have to take so much meds I wouldn't drive), I would normally have to spend the next few days in bed. Today, despite sleeping poorly (and not much), I was able to drive home, pick up my son, and drive another hour to pick up my camper that has been at the repair shop for over a month (because I physically couldn't do the riving to pick it up)

Woo Hoo !

And.....I typed all of this !

Thank you for taking the time to write this long reply. unfortunately, money is an issue right now for me. So i am going to save my pennies and order the pad for 59.00 on amazon as soon as i can. might as well try it, i will be angry with myself if i dont. If you have inflammation problems have you noticed any decrease in that area? I am so swollen in my abdomen and nothing helps to get the swelling down. I am scared that i will just keep swelling until i get crushed by it ...waaaa!

your parents story was cute, i hope it helps them too...maybe it will help the snoring issue and they can sleep in the same room again.

please keep us posted on your progress. maybe you will have a Christmas miracle and be pain free! I believe it should be that way for us all, how wonderful this would be.
Hugs and blessings
Lori

Oh, how I wish for that too Lori......

I do have problems with swelling in my neck/shoulder area. It gets puffy when my pain is flaring, but is minimal right now. I can't say that I've seen a difference in that......but my case is in no way close to your extreme swelling. If this helps with inflammation, I would hope that it could help you.

update
 

Just adding another update....

I am very happy to report that I am sleeping soooooo much better since moving my earthing pad to my bed. My mother gave me a queen size bedpad for Christmas, but with the gift exchange craziness, it got left at my sister's house :( I can't wait to switch to that.

I made it through all of the Christmas festivities without having to double up on my pain meds at all. My next big 'trial' will be a few days at Foxwoods next week.......usually that's a given that I'm taking 2 Vicodin at a time or up to 3. Can't wait to see if I can make it through with less.