Grounding/Earthing & HRV (N=1 Data)
Forum N=1 threads report large HRV swings with ad hoc grounding; a small double-blind occupational RCT (massage therapists, conductive patches) shows consistent pain, fatigue, and mood gains while grounded, with authors pointing to separate trial-phase HRV and biomarker papers.
What this protocol is
Grounding / earthing here means intentional electrical coupling to Earth reference—from DIY outlet-ground wires in consumer logs to blinded conductive mattress / patch kits in published trials. Dose (minutes/day), surface (grass vs indoor mat), and hardware are within-family variation under this slug so HRV anecdotes and small occupational RCTs stay discoverable together without duplicating “grounding 20 min” vs “grounding sleep” pages.
N=1 Evidence (forum tier)
- Serg1942: Grounding via outlet ground wire — 7 blinded sessions on self + partner (ME/CFS) + 1 healthy participant
- HRV: +20–90% when grounded (healthy subject +70–100%)
- p < 0.004 across the 7 sessions in the self-report thread
- Devices: unspecified HRV monitor—treat as hypothesis / calibration tier, not population proof
Controlled trial pocket (pain / fatigue / mood; not outlet DIY)
Chevalier et al. 2019 (Explore (NY); PMID 30448083; chevalier-2019-grounding-bodyworkers-rct-explore) randomised sixteen massage therapists to double-blind conductive grounding versus sham during work + sleep in a stepped-wedge design—abstract reports significant gains in physical function / energy and significant drops in fatigue, depressed mood, tiredness, and pain while grounded. The same abstract references earlier trial-phase analyses for HRV, inflammatory markers, and blood viscosity—read companion figures before equating with forum outlet-ground HRV percentages above.
Evidence hygiene
- Modality gap: published kits ≠ unverified mains wiring hacks—safety and stimulus differ.
- Small n everywhere: combine Chevalier occupational RCT with Serg1942 only as triangulation, not as one pooled effect size.