Has anyone tried earthing/grounding for afib? I know it sounds a bit out there, but I think there is really something here.
I am going through some medical issues that normally I would take NSAIDs for, but because of the wisdom of this group I am not. So I looked for what else can bring down inflammation -- and grounding/earthing does that and more. I have been amazed at what it has done for my heart.
Super easy, just put your bare feet on the ground, preferably on wet grass or in the ocean. (Taking care to avoid places where there might be worms from dogs etc. Or wearing moccassins)
Apparently there are plenty of people in Germany and Switzerland who make it a regular practice, and it is a growing trend worldwide.
Here is a link to Dr. Sinatra on grounding/earthing and the heart:
My wife always moans at me for walking round barefoot! Wet grass at dawn feels wonderful. MInd you I did come unstuck when I was doing Duke of Edinburgh expedition at 17 when I ground my breakfast ciggy into the earth with my bare foot! 60s are a long time ago.lol 😁
Many years ago I was a bit obsessed with grounding. I saw a recording given by an American who'd had a native Indian school friend. He went to the boys home, a tepee, and his mother immediately told her son to take his shoes off as they would make him ill.
I've had a good search for this talk but can't find it now, will keep on looking though.
It’s avoiding anything with rubber soles or any synthetic footwear as they insulate and prevent grounding - harder said than done as not sure they make shoes with soles with anything else so does anyone wear anything else these days? I still have a few shoes with leather soles but they are now so uncomfortable I never wear them.
I used to go barefoot for years, we lived by the sea and only when I had to go to work did I adopt shoes. After living on a yacht for 8 months and again going barefoot THE hardest thing to adjust to back in ‘civvie’ life was shoes. They still come off as soon as I am through the front door!
Morning coffee in the sun, bare feet on the ground - can someone please switch the sun back on……
Yes, do you remember us talking about this a few times years ago? I think a member of this forum at one time was so impressed that he bought lots of grounding mats and offered to sell them to anyone who wanted one. I wear suede moccasin slippers, but no good wearing them on carpets that aren't made of pure wool or real wood.
Yes, "urban areas" and "dogs" don't go well with grounding. I believe some people use moccasins in those situation, to protect their feet but still allow grounding (in a reduced way) to happen.
Yep, done it whenever I could though I prefer a sandy beach and even better, paddle/swim in the sea! That is sadly not possible now and ‘grass’ is a mud mire which is probably fabulous for me but not sure I’m going to give it a go. Concrete or bricks (we have a brick patio) works just as well but natural ground is preferable.
I did look into the grounding matt and bed but then did some research and discovered that the UK and US have very different electrical set ups so what works in the US is not really applicable in the UK.
I’m a big fan of grounding and hypnotherapy - it may be worth exploring as an aid to your anti-inflammatory journey.
I birthed my first child with techniques from hypnobirthing (which uses hypnotherapy in a fashion). It was wonderful, I feel asleep between contractions, had no pain relief whatsoever and it was a very calm and relaxing environment.
I used my breathing techniques again when I start to get the feeling back in my stomach part way through my second csection so that they didn’t put me under general anaesthetic and turf my partner out. I was adamant I didn’t want my little girl to be without us when she arrived.
The mind is incredibly powerful!
I hope you continue to have success with your grounding; please keep us posted.
Thank you! I will look into it. I am glad it worked so well for you under difficult circumstances! And it is good to be reminded of the power of the mind. True indeed.
Most people know the pleasant feeling of going barefoot, BUT no Afibbers so far have said if it has improved their AF. In my mind the jury is still out.
It may be "all in the mind" All of the plumbing in your house is bonded to earth. Every time you touch a tap, take a shower or have a bath, or maybe just do the washing up, you will be well grounded.
Very true. And there is growing evidence I believe that certain activities with water help with ills like depression. This may be part of the mechanism. To be filed under "more research is needed!"
I ground when I remember and as there is little downside I would recommend it any way, whether it is in the mind or not. Tests have shown that placebos can and do improve wellbeing.
Over the last 5 years in the house I have worn Hartl slippers made in the Zillertal, Austria with wool soles and I wouldn't wear anything else now. Whether they improve grounding or not, who knows but if you feel better don't knock it 😎.
I have read about it with interest and thanks for the link. So far, I haven't been convinced by the scientific work, such as it is. I notice there are very expensive grounding blankets and such like coming on the market, which doesn't surprise me. I suspect a glass of gin and tonic can be shown to be much more effective, myself, but who knows? These things are always worth trying as they seem to work for up to 30% of people, even if only for a short period.
I am not sure what I think about the high tech grounding, because it is hard to duplicate Mother Nature. Still, it might be better than nothing and many people live in places where it is truly difficult to put their feet on the ground.
At any rate, testing of products is likely where the main research will be found, because who is going to pay for research about the benefits of putting your feet on the ground?
We can only hope! It is true it would make a whiz bang dissertation.
Perhaps even in an adjacent field, since for whatever reason alternative medical interventions don't get much love in research. But there is a ton of research ongoing right now on trauma and the vagus nerve, and if grounding helps there, which I think it is very likely to do, it wouldn't be hard to tack on looking at cardiac outcomes.
It is centered around Stephen Porges' work on the polyvagal theory. Lots of practitioners took it and ran with it. I'll look into some citations and send them along.
Thanks for the link. I'll spend some time reading this and others I've found now. The role of the vagus nerve intrigues me as I have a lot of diaphragm issues on the left thanks to a sliding hiatus hernia. just where the vagus is, of course.
On the practitioner side Deb Dana is very experienced.
The older I get the less I am inclined to recommend anything to anyone, because we don't know the totality of the situation or what could result from our recommendation, but you might consider looking into Stanley Rosenberg's Basic Exercise.
I first learned of it on this forum, and it is remarkably powerful in terms of resetting the vagus nerve.
Agree on the G & T! A weighted blanket is very comforting , especially when it’s blowing a gale and raining cats and dogs outside!! What we need is some more of that thing called sunshine!! 🌞🌞
Morning everyone on this lovely sunny day.🌻🌻🌻Grounding is very important and can also be achieved by visualisation and intent. I do it by imagining connecting the base of my spine to the gold and white light of source energy. You can also envision sinking your feet into the ground and then roots spreading out as if you are a tree. It's a good way of grounding if you can't physically do it. Intention can be very powerful.
Well, no need to buy those rather spendy “earthing sheets” then. I can just visualise my ordinary Egyptian cotton sheets transforming themselves into the magic carpet of bed linen. I only wish I could visualise tidying up my bedroom at the same time. They say the mind is a powerful thing after all….
Right... thanks for sharing your data point! I don't know if the sheets have the same effect as physical grounding, or it wasn't enough in your situation, or it just doesn't work.
Some years ago when I was severely affected and bedbound with ME a friend of mine was flogging some sort of magic mat to sleep on. It was more like a hanky, made from a rather coarse calico fabric. Of course it made not one bit of difference. It was total rubbish. It was only fit for wiping up snake oil, really. She made a lot of money from selling these stupid fabric squares. Even if you are the sort of person who loves a placebo, they were a rubbish placebo. Who could fall for this nonsense? The phrase “there’s one born every minute” comes to mind. Mine didn’t cost me anything. It went in the bin when I was decluttering my house.
I know i fell for the hype at the time, i will try anything , almost ,to get rid of afib, its 15 years ago so i havent a clue now who i bought it from, what a sucker i was.
I’ve seen it all before as someone with ME/CFS and I can honestly say from experience experience that I’ve never witnessed anyone improving with any of these hyped up “alternative” therapies, and yes I have tried several myself only because I didn’t want to miss out on something that could help. The only things I would recommend are things that are effectively relaxation/stress reduction, whatever suits the individual, whether that’s yoga, relaxation and breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation etc. Other therapies that people find helpful might be massage or even reflexology, even if I’m not convinced by the theory it can be very relaxing to have a foot massage. But a trip to the cinema or the nail bar might work equally as well because these can be “nice things to do” and I think there’s a benefit in it. But it’s not a treatment or a therapy for an illness, it’s more a quality of life issue. I also think that getting out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and digest mode” is where the benefits lie. It doesn’t need to cost a penny. Breathing exercises are free.
I’ve seen a few people have their physical health ruined by seeing so-called “nutritionists”. It’s an unregulated space. You or I could call ourselves a “nutritionist” and start “treating” people tomorrow. I’ve seen people become undernouished and emaciated from their exclusion diets that purport to treat bogus “allergies”. Once people are told that they should avoid this or that list of foods it’s impossible to get them to move past it. If people have genuine allergies there are genuine tests done by genuine immunologists with specialist training in allergies. I’ve heard people tell me of their diagnoses of “leaky gut” and “adrenal fatigue” and “candida overgrowth” but if I ask them who diagnosed them it’s their naturopath/healer or their hypnotherapist/EFT lady (who is also a “healer”, they are people of many talents it seems) and somehow these people can intuitively diagnose their gut “being like a sieve”. And so on. If I had taken any of my pets to the vet and was told that the diagnosis is “leaky gut” or a “leaky aura” or any of those bogus alt health diagnosis, I wouldn’t put up with it. I’d walk right out.
But I do understand the desperation people feel. I don’t blame anyone for wanting to help themselves. There are ways we can help ourselves but we can do a lot for little or no cost. Even getting to bed 1/2 hour earlier would probably do more for us than any recommendation by a purveyor of nonsense.
It is indeed a real issue, the issue of quackery or methods that simply don't work.
Of course some things that turn out to be important at first look like quackery, like the first people who pointed to gastro issues as a causal factor in some Afib. Absent quality research, how are we to know what is valuable?
Here is the power of a long term group like this. We hope that the cream of the methods rises to the top over time.
Yes, I tend to agree. We can’t afford to be too cynical but we can’t afford to be played either. It needn’t cost a penny to walk barefoot in the grass (in a safe environment of course) and it will feel quite nice. But it’s a bit far-fetched to describe it as medicine or a treatment for any condition. And then you get the monetisation issue—buy these special shoes or buy these special sheets or wear this special bracelet etc etc. If something doesn’t make sense I tend to say ‘thanks, but no thanks, I’ll pass on this one”. I didn’t buy a “menopause magnet” or any of the purported herbal remedies that are sold in H&B to “balance hormones”. I didn’t touch any of it. I cannot understand why a magnet for sale on eBay for 5p can be sold to menopausal women for 50 quid for a start, and secondly, is it the sunk cost of the 50 quid and the emotional investment that produces the belief that these things “help”? Why doesn’t a magnetic closure on a handbag work equally well? Or a magnet from eBay or AliExpress? The only difference that I can see is the marketing hype. But anyway, I’ve seen so many things come and go and come back again, it’s like the magic roundabout.
Yes, that is it exactly. How to not be too cynical and yet not be played.
For me, other than personal experience, I found the studies linking grounding to reduced inflammation, better sleep, quicker healing, lessened depression and circulation improvement to be compelling. I don't know that there is bullet proof support for all the claims, but there seems to be enough there for me at least to take it seriously.
That said, I tend to go the natural route rather than buy magnets or grounding mats etc., although they may in fact be helpful for some. Possibly I am missing out by not using them and I remain open to hearing about them.
Everyone has their own threshold for evidence and hope, and the best we can do I think is to dialogue.
Best wishes to you with negotiating the marketing hype roundabout!
The idea I believe is to keep substances like rubber that don't conduct between you and the earth. But moccasins do, just not as well as nothing/bare feet.
Mmm, you need to take a lot of care in case of injuries and stings, especially if you’re also a diabetic. I’m a Complementary Therapist of 25? Years, practice Reflexology. One of the very first stories I’d heard was about a man who’d walk down his lawn barefoot first thing every morning to get his paper from the mail box. He consulted a Reflexologist for health reasons. Turns out the cause of his ill health was in fact his feet getting wet and chilled every morning! Reflexologists help promote healthy being by working the corresponding body parts on the soles of the feet. If you have any doubts, I’ll give you my family who ‘were’ total sceptics! 😜
ps another of my therapies is Bio-magnetics, using strong Neodymium magnets to help healing. There is a lot about magnetic healing. I’ve a thick file on treatment stories. My family and cats were my Guinea pigs. Animals and small children do not know ‘placebos’
My drs and consultants have been amazed at how quickl My ailments have healed 😜
The earth is a magnetic ball and everything on it conducts the magnet fields. All the power lines etc disrupt the body’s field.
Actually, I’ve stepped on a wasp before and the pain!! 😭 I don’t recommend it! Agree also, must protect the feet from injury and if there are any little cuts on the feet you don’t want any infection getting in there either.
😵💫 I was minding my own business in a small town when a wasp settled on my finger and stung me 🤷🏼♀️😡 Painful wasn’t in it and I had no cream and no shop 😭
Thanks for sharing. I had read a book about earthing years ago called, Earthing, by Clinton Ober. All very interesting. I had practiced it for a short time then winter came and I never returned to practice.
I believe that there’s definitely something to it. It certainly does make sense that it would help A-fib and other heart issues.
As I’m now experiencing A-fib/Flutter I will try it again. Hoping others read this as it’s such a simple remedy would be a shame to not give it a try.
I wish you the best in your battle against Afib and flutter...
I find grounding works like an electrical reset and helps to shore up the vagal nerve. I have been trying for twice a day for about 10 minutes, with wet grass if possible, but three times a day is better.
I doubt it will be a cure-all for everyone, but if it can help those on the edge, and decrease the burden of those with entrenched Afib, it seems to me to be a good thing with no downside other than time.
I am very interested to hear other's stories...For me, I haven't had an episode since systematically grounding, despite temporarily not being able to exercise -- one of my main anti-Afib strategies.
I'm sure I've read previous threads on here before. Have a look on the search function. Sounds interesting but, as someone who looks after feet for a living, I'd say be careful if you are diabetic.😊.
Just remembered some years ago I went to a healer who had a musical bed with different frequency speakers mounted under it. You lay on it and he pumped in "music" according to what you thought was wrong with you. Interesting experience and quite relaxing and calming.
I’ve a couple of differently tuned tongue drum and the resonance is amazing, I can feel the vibrations in my rib cage. It’s possible to use on a person, not tried that ‘yet’
I replied to a similar thread a few years ago but will repeat again.During my time doing industrial electronics we had to do PC board repairs during our week of standby.
While doing this I had to wear a grounding earth strap as some components were very delicate and any static would destroy them.
The earth strap made no difference to my arrhythmia. It was actually worse due to sitting still causing a lower heart beat.
I seem to remember earthing myself doing something a bit techie, like putting RAM in my computer. I think I used one of my husband’s old guitar strings. Funny how these things never make a difference unless you pay over a certain amount and then it’s “well…. I THINK it might be helping… but then I’m also taking ashwaganda powder … and I’ve just started intermittent fasting….”
I have an earthing sheet on my bed, it's supposed to help lower BP apart from anything else.
We all tend to carry a static charge because we're so well insulated from the ground, and all our cells carry an electrical charge so maybe there's something in this.
Basically you are a walking high value resistor,100k ohms upwards,wet grass will reduce that resistance and make current flow from whatever source easier. CURRENT =VOLTS /RESISTANCE. Don't do this in a thunderstorm ,the voltage is very high...
The frequency of the earth is 7.83 Hz. We cannot live without it. It is now generated in all space craft and the space station. NASA has done a lot of research about this. The earth’s field strength is decreasing which could be affecting us. There is some thought that the magnetic poles could be going to reverse which they do regularly and the time between reversals is overdue. This should really mess up our world.
PEMP and Scenar devices can generate the 7.83 Hz. I have each. Like all devices there are good ones and bad ones , expensive ones and cheap ones so you need to do a lot of research before you purchase these.
Going barefoot is definitely a positive and the cheapest way to go to benefit from the earth’s life giving natural frequency.
I have tried grounding to resolve my a-fib issues and it has been effective. I had on ablation, which was not effective. My cardiologist has scheduled a second ablation but wanted me to try grounding first…and it worked!
One thing I find remarkable about your story is that it was your cardiologist who recommended you try grounding. I am assuming he must have seen some positive examples to give him the wherewithal to do so? Very heartening.
I have a friend with afib and my first thought was … “I wonder if grounding would help him?” I’m happy to see someone has the same idea. I’m going to suggest he try it.😁
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