The Effects of Grounding (Earthing) on Bodyworkers’ Pain and Overall Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Chevalier, Gaétan; Weiss, Lizabeth; Chopra, Deepak; Mills, Paul J.

doi:10.1016/j.explore.2018.10.001

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…33 of these records were filtered, with the most common reason being the lack of a nonintervention control group or other physical relaxation comparison group (15 studies). 28,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57] Furthermore, seven studies were excluded due to non-randomized or quasi-randomized designs, 32,[58][59][60][61][62][63] eight for inadequate data, [64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71] and three due to interventions that included vigorous aerobic or weight training exercise. [72][73][74] Finally, 15 studies that met our inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis (Figure 1 and Table 1).…”

Section: Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Zhang

Murphy

Cabanilla

et al. 2021

Journal of Occupational Health

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Objectives Work related stress is a major occupational health problem that is associated with adverse effects on physical and mental health. Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable in the era of COVID‐19. Physical methods of stress relief such as yoga and massage therapy may reduce occupational stress. The objective of this systematic review and network meta‐analysis is to determine the effects of yoga, massage therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and stretching on alleviating stress and improving physical and mental health in healthcare workers. Methods Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the use of physical relaxation methods for occupational stress in healthcare workers with any duration of follow‐up. Meta‐analysis was performed for standard mean differences in stress measures from baseline between subjects undergoing relaxation vs non‐intervention controls. Network meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the best relaxation method. Results Fifteen trials representing 688 healthcare workers were identified. Random‐effects meta‐analysis shows that physical relaxation methods overall reduced measures of occupational stress at the longest duration of follow‐up vs baseline compared to non‐intervention controls (SMD −0.53; 95% CI [−0.74 to −0.33]; p < .00001). On network meta‐analysis, only yoga alone (SMD −0.71; 95% CI [−1.01 to −0.41]) and massage therapy alone (SMD −0.43; 95% CI [−0.72 to −0.14]) were more effective than control, with yoga identified as the best method ( p ‐score = .89). Conclusion Physical relaxation may help reduce occupational stress in healthcare workers. Yoga is particularly effective and offers the convenience of online delivery. Employers should consider implementing these methods into workplace wellness programs.

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Section: Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Zhang

Murphy

Cabanilla

et al. 2021

Journal of Occupational Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Grounding can be achieved by direct contact with the Earth’s surface (e.g., by walking barefoot) or by using conductive systems (e.g., grounding mats) [ 8 ]. People can connect to the Earth by sleeping or sitting on the grounding mats, which are equipped with conductive wire connecting to the ground outside [ 10 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Grounding, or earthing, refers to contact of the body with the ground, such as by walking barefoot, which can affect the health of individuals who live on Earth [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Grounding can reduce pain, regulate immune response, and reduce inflammation-related chemical factors, which are all beneficial for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study

et al. 2022

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Background: Grounding refers to having direct contact with the Earth, such as by walking barefoot or lying on the ground. Research has found that grounding can improve inflammation, free radical damage, blood pressure, sleep quality, pain, stress, mood, and wound healing. However, there has been no research on the effect of utilizing grounding for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thus, in this study, we investigated the effectiveness of grounding as a non-pharmacological therapy for treating sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression in patients with mild AD. Methods: Patients with mild AD were enrolled in the study. The electrochemical analyzer CHI 1205b was employed to check the electrochemical signals at acupoints KI1 and GV16. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to evaluate sleep quality, anxiety, and depression, respectively, at weeks 0 and 12. Results: This 12-week placebo-controlled study enrolled 22 patients, but only 15 patients completed the 12-week intervention and survey. Grounding significantly improved PSQI scores compared to the sham-grounding group (mean ± SD: 0.3 ± 0.7 vs. 3.0 ± 1.9, p = 0.006). The scores on the BAI and BDI-II did not change significantly after grounding in comparison to the sham-grounding group. Conclusion: Grounding can improve sleep quality, but it does not significantly improve anxiety and depression among patients with mild AD.

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“…Electro-biomodulation (EBM) through nature's contact also has positive health impacts if pupils can be in bare and or ESD foot/hand contact with the Earth. The clinical benefits have been demonstrated on inflammation 88 and blood flow, 89 wound healing and rehabilitation, 90 increased redox stabilization in the presence of external noise-signal disruptors, 91 muscle and physical stress loading, [92][93][94] hypertension, 95 and vagal nerve tone, which is associated with stress resilience. 96 For the case of digital education, which has greatly expanded in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, termed a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, specific adaptations can be made to improve educational and health outcomes.…”

Section: Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fiat Lux: Light and Pedagogy for the 21st Century

Lech

Halma

Obajuluwa

et al. 2023

Annals of Neurosciences

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Background The relationship between the quality of the learning environment and student outcomes is receiving more serious attention from educational psychologists, neurologists, ophthalmologists, orthopedists, surgeons, oncologists, architects, ergonomists, nutritionists, and Michelin star chefs. There is a role for ergonomic office and school design to positively impact worker and student productivity, and one design attribute drawing attention is the indoor lit environment. In this review, we expand upon the role that light plays in education, as it has enabled millions of pupils to read at late hours, which were previously too dark. However, still unappreciated is the biological effects of artificial light on circadian rhythm and its subsequent impacts on health and learning outcomes. Summary This review describes the current state of light in the educational environment, its impact, and the effect of certain inexpensive and easy-to-implement adaptations to better support student growth, learning and development. We find that the current lighting environment for pupils is sub-optima based on biological mechanism and may be improved through cost effective interventions. These interventions can achieve greater biological harmonization and improve learner outcomes. Key Message The impact of the lighting environment in educational institutions on pupil biology has received minimal attention thus far. The current lighting environment in schools is not conducive to student health and educational performance. Cost-effective approaches can have an outsized impact on student health and educational attainment. We strongly recommend educational institutions take the lit environment into account when designing educational programs.

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The Effects of Grounding (Earthing) on Bodyworkers’ Pain and Overall Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cited by 8 publications

References 10 publications

Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study

Fiat Lux: Light and Pedagogy for the 21st Century

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