Grounding To Treat Anxiety
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Anxiety disorders are prevalent worldwide, affecting approximately 34% of the U.S. population and contributing significantly to global disability and disease burden. While effective treatments exist, access remains limited, with only 25% of affected individuals receiving care. This review explores grounding, a holistic practice that connects individuals to the Earth's electrical field, as a potential adjunctive treatment for anxiety.
Methods: This review examines the existing literature on grounding and its physiological effects on anxiety. Key mechanisms of action include the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, reduction of muscle tension, improvement of mood and cognitive clarity, with a focus on how this support can help reduce anxiety and anxiety related symptoms.
Results: Grounding has been shown to provide immediate benefits, such as the regulation of heart and respiratory rates, reduction of muscle tension, and calmer brain wave patterns. Long-term effects include improved mood, enhanced cognitive function, and better sleep quality. Grounding may also decrease markers of inflammation, potentially reversing the telomere shortening associated with anxiety disorders.
Conclusion: Grounding presents a safe, accessible, and cost-effective strategy for alleviating anxiety symptoms and improving overall well-being. Given it is a free healing modality that offers immediate and long-term benefits, and that it is a universally available treatment world wide that removes the obstacles of cost and access to healthcare facilities, grounding should be integrated into comprehensive anxiety treatment plans. Further research is warranted to explore its full potential and mechanisms of action in anxiety as well as other mental health disorders..
Keywords: Grounding, Earthing, Mental Health, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Autonomic Nervous System, Cortisol, Sleep Quality, Circadian Rhythm, Inflammation, Telomere Shortening, Mood, Cognitive Function, Muscle Tension, Heart Rate Variability, Adjunctive Treatment, Vagal Tone
Article Details
How to Cite
KONIVER, Laura.
Grounding To Treat Anxiety.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 12, dec. 2024.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/6024>. Date accessed: 06 jan. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i12.6024.
Section
Review Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
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9. González-Valero G, Zurita-Ortega F, Ubago-Jiménez JL, Puertas-Molero P. Use of meditation and cognitive behavioral therapies for the treatment of stress, depression and anxiety in students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22):4394. Doi:10.3390/I jerph16224394. PMID: 31717682; PMCID: PMC68 88319.
10. Robinaugh DJ, Worthington JJ, Pollack MH, Simon NM. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013;74(8):786-792. Doi:10.4088/J CP.12m08083. PMID: 23541163; PMCID: PMC377 2979.
11. Bradt J, Dileo C, Potvin N. Music for stress and anxiety reduction in coronary heart disease patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013 (12):CD006577. Doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006577. pub3. PMID: 24374731; PMCID: PMC8454043.
12. Saeed SA, Antonacci DJ, Bloch RM. Exercise, yoga, and meditation for depressive and anxiety disorders. Am Fam Physician. 2010;81(8):981-986. PMID: 20387774.
13. Carek PJ, Laibstain SE, Carek SM. Exercise for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2011;41(1):15-28. Doi:10.2190/P M.41.1.c. PMID: 21495519.
14. Stonerock GL, Hoffman BM, Smith PJ, Blumenthal JA. Exercise as treatment for anxiety: systematic review and analysis. Ann Behav Med. 2015;49(4):542-556. Doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9685-9. PMID: 25697132; PMCID: PMC4498975.
15. Gordon BR, McDowell CP, Lyons M, Herring MP. Resistance exercise training for anxiety and worry symptoms among young adults: a randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):17548. Doi:10.1038/s41598-020-74608-6. PMID: 33067493; PMCID: PMC7567848.
16. Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, Rosenbaum S, Firth J, Cosco T, Veronese N, Salum GA, Schuch FB. An examination of the anxiolytic effects of exercise for people with anxiety and stress-related disorders: a meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2017; 249:102-108. Doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.020. PMID: 28088704.
17. Aucoin M, LaChance L, Naidoo U, Remy D, Shekdar T, Sayar N, Cardozo V, Rawana T, Chan I, Cooley K. Diet and anxiety: a scoping review. Nutrients. 2021;13(12):4418. Doi:10.3390/nu13124418. PMID: 34959972; PMCID: PMC8706568.
18. Xiong RG, Li J, Cheng J, Zhou DD, Wu SX, Huang SY, Saimaiti A, Yang ZJ, Gan RY, Li HB. The role of gut microbiota in anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders as well as the protective effects of dietary components. Nutrients. 2023;15 (14):3258. Doi:10.3390/nu15143258. PMID: 37513676; PMCID: PMC10384867.
19. Navarro-Tapia E, Almeida-Toledano L, Sebastiani G, Serra-Delgado M, García-Algar Ó, Andreu-Fernández V. Effects of microbiota imbalance in anxiety and eating disorders: probiotics as novel therapeutic approaches. Int J Mol Sci. 2021; 22(5):2351. doi:10.3390/ijms22052351. PMID: 33652962; PMCID: PMC7956573.
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