Are you drinking enough water?
Since so much of our body consists of water, water affects every cell of our body. You bones even need water. They are just a little denser than some of the other parts of your body. One of the parts of your body that is particularly vulnerable to dehydration is the discs in your spine and the cartilage in your joints. The lack of proper hydration can be one of the causes of back pain. Now, that’s why your chiropractic care plan advises you to drink more water!
The lack of proper hydration could affect your back and could be a cause of back pain. Here’s how… Between every two vertebrae lies a disk, which functions as a shock absorber for all that we put our backs through every day. The inner substance is primarily water. All day long, as gravity works on our upright spine, water is slowly squeezed out of the disks. Then at night, when we are lying down, the disks slowly rehydrate.
When the inner portion of the discs in your back is dehydrated, it cannot support its share of the load, so more and more of your weight is borne by the outer ring, which simply was not designed for that purpose.
Water is so important for our bodies to function correctly and for us to feel at our best! Know that the eight glass rule isn’t necessarily for everyone. Weight and exercise also factor into how much you should drink a day so figure out how much water you need a day first!
So here are my 7 Ways to Increase your Water intake:
1. Ease into it: Don’t feel like you have to drink the recommended amount the first day, if you don’t normally drink lots of water slowly increase your water.
2. Drink a large glass of water in the morning: I try to drink some water with breakfast, that way if don’t get to drink as much throughout the day as I had hoped… I still have the morning intake!
3. Put your water into a sports cap bottle: I find this really helpful. I keep my water nearby, and can drink it quickly but at ease while on the go throughout my day.
4. Add a slice of lime or lemon: I do love plain water but sometimes, I will admit… It gets hard to drink it without flavour. So, add a slice of lime or lemon to your water to make it exciting!
5. Sparkle your water: Do you normally drink lots of fizzy drinks throughout the day? Try drinking sparkling water (with a slice of lime or lemon!) to make the transition easier. Or if you are finding it hard to drink still water all the time, sparkling is a real treat!
6. Create a cocktail: Try drinking some tasty detox water. Divide into 4 bottles of 24 oz. of water before dividing add 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, 2 limes, & a bunch of mint & let sit in the fridge for a few hours!
7. Make it Part of Your routine: Try drinking 2 glasses of water in the morning with breakfast. Drink a glass of water before each meal, before having a shower and before going to bed.
You may not have known this, but water even plays an enormous role in how to improve the health of your back and spine. Not drinking enough water can cause pain and swelling in the discs in your back. Prevention is best.
Drinking plenty of water is mainly to eliminate dehydration, but is also one of the simple yet important ways to maintain your back health. Of course, your chiropractor will work with you to improve your back health and get you back to a pain-free life!
If you have a sore back and want a solution, please feel free to give us a call in Optimal Chiropractic Ballincollig on 021 487 84 65
