By Dr. Elizabeth Boomhower
For Capital Region Independent Media
Our bodies are electrical systems. From the way our nerves fire, our heart beats, and our muscles contract, it all comes down to electrical charge. Positive and negative. The biochemical nature of our body is at work 100% of the time and it all automatically happens.
As a holistic health care provider, I look to alternative and natural ways that we can support the body to heal. Most of the time these methods are simple and it’s a bonus if they are low cost or no cost.
Well, what if I told you there is a tremendous power to heal your body by simply walking on the earth with bare feet? This is termed “grounding” and the science behind it is profound.
The earth’s surface is abundant with free electrons, which carry a negative charge. This negative charge happens by millions of lightning strikes across the earth’s surface at any given second, as well as production deep within the earth’s core. This negative charge can be passed on to us to neutralize our body’s charge by making contact with the earth through a conductive surface, such as our bare skin. It can also be passed through any tree or rock that is in contact with the earth, natural sources of water like streams or the sea, or through leather-soled shoes.
By spending time outside in contact with the earth’s surface throughout the day, the inflammation in our body decreases.
Inflammation is a complex cascade of biochemical reactions in the body that can be initiated by many different causes. As a result of inflammation, our body produces free radicals, which are essentially unstable molecules that are searching for an electron to help neutralize them. They are chaotic molecules that may end up ripping an electron from a healthy cell to balance them, which in turn creates more inflammation and potential DNA damage.
This is a never-ending process as our body creates more free radicals in response to environmental and physical stressors on the body. This is chronic inflammation.
Grounding is the single best method to help combat inflammation in our body instantaneously through exchange of free electrons. The earth’s abundant supply of free electrons begins to flow through us the second we connect with the earth via a conductive surface, such as our bare feet. This contact allows for free electrons to “feed” the free radicals that are in chaotic search for an electron to neutralize them. As soon as they get what they want, inflammatory processes cease. Simple, free and instant.
Unfortunately, we have effectively insulated ourselves from the healing charge of the earth via shoes, houses, cars, beds, etc. It was only around the 1960s that shoes with synthetic materials began to be produced on a mass scale. Prior to that we were already insulating ourselves from the earth through houses and beds.
We have grown to be further and further away from making contact with the earth. Thinking back to when humans would walk the earth with only leather moccasins covering their feet, sleeping on the ground, and bathing in natural sources of water, our world today looks very different.
I encourage you to start intentionally grounding today and notice how good it feels! With the warmer weather, you have more opportunity to be outside comfortably, taking advantage of the healing power of the earth.
Try grounding when you have a headache, backache, or maybe tendonitis. You may notice relief after 15-30 minutes of contact.
These results have been studied for many years now by scientists after Clint Ober initially began to investigate the changes that occur in the body after grounding yourself. He brought the earth inside via “Earthing” pads, which you can sit or sleep on and conduct via grounding rods or wires. He is co-author of the book “Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!” which I highly recommend for further reading on this fascinating subject.
Dr. Elizabeth Boomhower is a chiropractor certified in the Webster Technique, whole food nutrition and a specialized interest in myofascial release techniques. She is the owner of Catskill Valley Chiropractic: A Center for Wellness.
