The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
Authors: James L Oschman
Richard Brown
Ga√©tan Chevalier
Journal: Journal of Inflammation Research (2015)
Discipline: IMMUNOLOGY
Keywords: autoimmune disorders; chronic inflammation; immune system; macrophages; white blood cells
Affiliations: Nature's Own Research Association, Dover, NH, USA., Developmental and Cell Biology Department, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA., Human Physiology Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.

Abstract:  Multi-disciplinary research has revealed that electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth (grounding or earthing) produces intriguing effects on physiology and health. Such effects relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this report is two-fold: to 1) inform researchers about what appears to be a new perspective to the study of inflammation, and 2) alert researchers that the length of time and degree (resistance to ground) of grounding of experimental animals is an important but usually overlooked factor that can influence outcomes of studies of inflammation, wound healing, and tumorigenesis. Specifically, grounding an organism produces measurable differences in the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines, and other molecules involved in the inflammatory response. We present several hypotheses to explain observed effects, based on current research results and our understanding of the electronic aspects of cell and tissue physiology, cell biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. An experimental injury to muscles, known as delayed onset muscle soreness, has been used to monitor the immune response under grounded versus ungrounded conditions. Grounding reduces pain and alters the numbers of circulating neutrophils and lymphocytes, and also affects various circulating chemical factors related to inflammation. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper has two images which appear to have repeated regions. Could the authors please comment? Also, the center of the healing wound in Figure 1C appears overexposed, almost pure white, although the rest of the photo does not. Could the authors please provide a high resolution original image? You may post a link here to an external site (such as Imgur.com or Google Drive) to overcome the size restrictions of this site. UPDATE: After further investigation, it does appear that these photos are taken from non-peer reviewed  case studies published by a chiropractor (William Amalu, DC, DABCT, FIACT) on a website. I have archived them here: https: web.archive.org web 20210526133322 https: earthinginstitute.net wp-content uploads 2019 02 thermographycasehistories2004.pdf The repeated region does not seem to be evident in the image available at that site, suggesting that they have been edited by someone else, for an unknown reason. In any case, the support for some of the hypothesis of this paper seems to reply partially on non-peer reviewed materials *** Figure 1C  *** Figure 2A  *** Original image  ,