Does Hydration Affect Your Spinal Health And Wellness?

It is highly likely that one of your New Years’ resolutions was to drink more water this year. The number of times that you have also heard about increasing the intake of water is also likely to be very high. Water is, without a doubt, necessary for your survival on earth, and you would experience suffering on so many levels if you decided to do without it. Some of the main functions that the water you consume serves in your body include:

-    It lubricates your joints for easy movement.

-    It forms saliva, mucus, and other fluids that are needed to keep your body systems balanced.

-    It helps in the transportation of oxygen throughout the entire body.

-    It maintains the health of your skin.

-    It helps with the regulation of body temperature.

-    The digestive system needs it to move around the food and nutrients.

-    It helps flush out toxic waste from the body.

The failure to consume enough water only leads to the above-listed functions being compromised, which is something that affects your general well-being.

Are you also aware of the fact that water plays a very major role in the health of every person’s spine? Some of the back and neck problems that we suffer from are a result of the inconsistency in the consumption of water. How does this happen? Let us find out.

Spine's Structure And Function

There is a need to have a clear understanding of how the spine works before we can even determine the role of water in its health. Each vertebra on your spine is stacked right on top of another. There is, however, a donut-like spinal disc filled with a gel that sits in between each vertebra. Every disc helps cushion the vertebrae from coming into contact with each other, which in turn allows you to bounce and turn without feeling any discomfort.

The exterior of the spinal discs happens to be quite tough and strong, but it is filled with a gel in its inner section.  Every time the spinal disc is compressed, some water is released. It is therefore essential to replenish this water for this disc to continue functioning properly.

Why Water Is Necessary For Your Spine?

It is quite impossible to live without compressing the spinal discs on your spine. By just sitting upright, the discs are tasked with withholding the force of gravity. In order for you to walk without feeling any pain on your back, you need functional discs. Water happens to be a major component of the substance that makes the discs functional.

Having an insufficient amount of water in our body system leads to the discs failing to refill, which then translates to them not working in the manner that they should. They will, upon losing water, remain deflated and expose your vertebrae to the risk of friction. Friction between the vertebrae causes:

-    The compression of nerves

-    Bone loss

-    Pain and discomfort

The spine happens to fall lower on the list of the organs that your body gives attention to when you are dehydrated. The body is at times forced to pull water away from the spine if important organs such as your brain need to be hydrated. This implies that you can have a sufficient amount of water in your system to keep you alive, but not enough to ensure that the spine is functioning optimally.

It is important to note that the wear and tear of the spine do not happen instantly in most cases. It instead happens gradually as you expose the spine to extra strain over a long period of time. You may not be aware that it is happening until you experience some serious pain that will lead to you having to seek medical attention.

Can Chiropractic Care With Water Help Maintain Your Health?

Spinal health should be intentional if one wants to live a back-pain-free life. This may call for you to consume a lot of water, and to eat healthy and nutritious foods. Fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of water should be part of your daily diet. If you combine a healthy lifestyle with chiropractic care you will be in a position to also maintain other bones in your body in the best form.

If you visit an excellent Livermore chiropractic care center, you will get the best advice on the nutritional and lifestyle elements that you should take care of in order to keep your spine in the best form possible. You will also get regular chiropractic adjustments to ensure that your spine is properly aligned.

Conclusion

Spinal health is something that we ought to give maximum attention to. Its functionality depends on the amount of water present in the spinal discs. The failure to consume enough water to replace the amount that is lost from the spinal discs as we go about our daily activities only leads to the degradation of the spine over a long period of time. We should, therefore, consider consuming water and water-rich foods and signing up for chiropractic care to see to it that we have a healthy spine at any age. It is only fair to take care of our spine, owing to the very significant role that it plays in our body.

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Written By:
Dr. Jag Dhesi is a licensed chiropractor in Livermore, Calif. serving the East Bay communities and is committed to promoting optimal health and well being of  patients. He is proud have the only diamond certified chiropractic & wellness center in the Bay Area.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.