A recent post has shared some tips on starting the year up right with a few healthy resolutions. One of those resolutions concerned hydration and its importance to overall health.
Yes, they are connected, believe it or not. And it makes perfect sense. Water is life and that includes human life.
Our bodies are up to 65% water. Scientists may insist that we’re carbon-based life forms, but the predominance of water as the stuff of which we’re made is impressive. What does that mean? It means we need to be mindful about water intake and ensure that we’re keeping up with it.
Drinking only when you feel thirsty isn’t going to cut it. If you’re thirsty, you’re already headed toward dehydration and that can mean back pain and anomalies in the spine.
Watering your spine.
As I said in the blog post referenced above, vertebral discs are like shock absorbers for your spine. You might even describe them as miniature air bags that cushion your vertebrae from impact.
Your spine is a miraculous apparatus which cycles fluid through its structures so these miraculous little cushions can absorb it. But they need a constant supply of water to do their job. Every time you open your mouth, your body loses water. The same is true of the simple act of breathing. The air you expel carries water out of your body.
You need to replace that water to ensure that your spine is receiving the hydration it needs to function at its most efficient and to protect your vertebrae.
Are you ready for this jelly?
The gel-like substance your vertebral discs are filled with is mostly water. If you’re not properly hydrated, this material will begin to degrade, leaving your vertebrae vulnerable to damage. That degradation causes the material to shrink.
This shrinkage causes the tough, outer lining of the discs to take on the burden of protecting your vertebrae from damage. But that’s not its job. It already has a job, which is to protect those vital, jelly-filled discs.
If you’re not drinking enough water, you’re not providing your spine with the hydration it needs to defend it from stress and potential injury.
Hydrate right.
This post, a spine out of water: hydration and disc health, is offered so that you can understand the vital role of water in protecting your spine. Your internal organs, skin and every other system that makes your body work all need water, including your discs.
Staying hydrated is all about intention. Remember to carry water with you, always. Drink it in place of sugary sodas, or energy drinks. Supplement water intake with fruit and vegetables.
Water is the original energy drink. It’s what your body cries out for. Make a point of monitoring your intake, if staying hydrated is new to you and you’re not used to drinking as much water as you should.
A spine out of water: hydration and disc health is offered here in the interests of your spine’s health. Contact us for more info.
