Your questions have been correctly addressed here. I would only say that the patches are meant to be used once or twice, and then discarded. They are like adhesive EKG patches. Think of them as targeted Earthing, for a specific location of pain in the body. The bands can also be used in a targeted fashion, but you can use them long term.
Would suggest you read the Earthing book to arm yourself with more knowledge, and check out the getting started FAQs up on our website at http://www.earthinginstitute.net
Earthing promotes healing. For some people with a large burden of toxicity in the body, the process can be uncomfortable initially. If that is the case, one can reduce exposure to Earthing so that the body is more readily able to handle the adjustment. Gradually the exposure time can be increased slowly to the point where you sleep grounded. Everyone is individual. So take it as it comes and be gentle to your body. Some people breeze through. No problem. Others have some discomfort as the body's self-repair and self-healing mechanisms are enhanced by Earthing.
Martin Zucker, co-author of the Earthing book