Some links on this site are affiliate links; the one in this article is not. How I choose.
Field is the pillar I find most beautiful and the one with the thinnest evidence. Both things are true, and I would rather tell you that plainly than let a lovely idea do the selling. So here is what has actually been measured, what has not, and how I think about spending money on it.
Two different things under one name
Grounding, sometimes called earthing, means direct contact between your skin and the earth: barefoot on grass, sand or soil, or indoors through a conductive mat or sheet connected to a grounded outlet.
PEMF, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, uses a device that generates low-intensity electromagnetic pulses, usually through a mat or a pad.
They are often sold together. The evidence for each is different, so I treat them separately.
Grounding: what has been measured
In one of the earliest studies, 12 people with poor sleep, pain and stress slept on a conductive mattress pad for eight weeks. Their night-time cortisol fell, their daily cortisol rhythm moved toward a more typical pattern, and nearly all reported better sleep and less pain and stress (Ghaly & Teplitz, 2004). It was 12 people, with no comparison group.
Reviews since then describe intriguing effects on inflammation markers, pain after exercise and sleep (Chevalier et al., 2012; Oschman et al., 2015). Much of this work comes from a small group of researchers who are also the practice’s most visible advocates, and large independent trials are still missing.
PEMF: what has been measured
PEMF has firmer ground in one place: osteoarthritis pain. A Cochrane review pooled nine randomised trials with 636 people. Those using electromagnetic field treatment rated their pain relief about 15 points higher on a 100-point scale than those on placebo, which the authors called a possible moderate benefit. There was no clear effect on physical function or quality of life, and no difference in side effects (Li et al., 2013).
That is a real finding for a specific condition. It is not evidence for the wider promises often made for home mats: deeper sleep, “cellular energy”, detoxification.
- Promising
- PEMF for osteoarthritis pain, from pooled randomised trials.
- Wait
- Grounding products for sleep, stress and inflammation. Small studies, few independent trials.
- Wait
- PEMF for general wellness, energy or detox.
Established: strong, repeated human evidence. Promising: real signals, not yet settled. Wait: interesting, but not yet worth your money on its own.
How I think about spending on it
Begin with what is free. Take your shoes off. Stand on the grass in the morning light, on the sand at the water’s edge. Whatever the science eventually shows, this costs nothing, and it brings you outside, into the present and into your body, which is where every other pillar starts.
If you are considering a PEMF device, ask the brand:
- What are the frequency and intensity, and why those settings?
- Is there a trial of this device, not just of PEMF as a category?
- Is it cleared by the FDA, and for what exactly? Clearance is specific to a stated use.
- What is the return period? A field practice reveals itself over weeks, not days.
- Who should not use it? Manufacturers generally warn against use with pacemakers or other implanted electronic devices, and in pregnancy. Read the warnings and speak with your clinician.
A closing thought
Some of what I value most cannot yet be measured well, and I will not pretend it has been. The field is where I go slowly, spend carefully and keep my feet on the ground, in every sense. The Trove’s issue on the Field arrives in November; subscribe free to read it first.
The body holds the work. These are the tools that hold the body.
— Gillian
THE TROVERead The Trove first.
Subscribe free and get The Honest Grades: 12 wellness trends, each graded Established, Promising or Wait. Then one issue a month, the research read honestly, before it goes public.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. How we treat your inbox · Privacy Policy · Terms.
Sources
All verified via PubMed, October 2026.
- Ghaly M, Teplitz D. The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress. J Altern Complement Med. 2004;10(5):767–776. doi:10.1089/acm.2004.10.767 · PubMed 15650465
- Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, et al. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:291541. doi:10.1155/2012/291541 · PubMed 22291721
- Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Brown R. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. J Inflamm Res. 2015;8:83–96. doi:10.2147/JIR.S69656 · PubMed 25848315
- Li S, Yu B, Zhou D, et al. Electromagnetic fields for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(12):CD003523. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003523.pub2 · PubMed 24338431
The HigherDOSE price is carried over from the Trinket Trove homepage; confirm the current price before purchase.
This article is for education and is not medical advice. Do not use PEMF devices with a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, or in pregnancy, unless your clinician advises otherwise. Grounding products that connect to an outlet should be used exactly as the manufacturer directs.
Trinket Trove may earn a commission on purchases made through some links on this site. Read the full disclosure.
