We’re square in the dead of summer, and most Utahns are well aware that hydration is important this time of year for several reasons. For those with back pain or related issues, however, did you realize there’s actually a direct connection between proper hydration and spinal health?
At Apollo Chiropractic, we’re proud to offer a wide range of chiropractic services and others that often focus heavily on spinal health, including auto accident recovery and whiplash treatments. In this two-part blog series, we’ll go over everything you need to know about how hydration and the spine relate, plus some general tips on how much water you should be drinking and some other expertise for keeping your spine in good shape.
Hydration and Overall Health
For starters, it’s important to understand how water and hydration impact your overall health – an area that has several close connections with the spine as well. Many aren’t aware, but the human body contains around 65% water, and must be continually hydrated to function properly.
Here are several of the functions water performs or assists with in the body:
- Keeps joints and muscles lubricated
- Moistens skin and tissue areas
- Flushes out waste in the liver and kidney
- Regulates temperature
- Carries oxygen and various nutrients to cells
- Helps the body dissolve said nutrients
- Protects organs and various bodily tissues
- Helps with metabolism
Spinal Construction
Next, it’s good to understand how the spine is constructed to get an idea of how water impacts it. First are vertebrae, or the row of bones you’re familiar with the forms the basic spine. Between each of these is a disc, which works to absorb shock and impact as you move to prevent friction and other issues.
Each disc is made of two parts, and the center is almost completely water. Over time, ensuring proper hydration allows discs to have the right level of water to allow you to function.
Hydration and Spinal Health
Each time you move the spine, it compresses and small amounts of the water in each disc is squeezed out. As you may expect, then, the body needs to be able to replenish this moisture content in the spinal discs – if it does not, you’ll experience pain, mobility issues and a much higher risk of injury in your spine.
This is one of several reasons it’s so important to drink enough water on a daily basis. In part two of our series, we’ll go over the amounts you need to drink and some other basic tips for those looking to keep the spine and other bodily areas hydrated.
For more on this or any of our chiropractic services or massage therapy programs, speak to the staff at Apollo Chiropractic today.