So Thirsty, It Hurts???

Dehydration has been found to be a leading contributor to muscle pain, particularly back pain.  With summer looming for those of us in the northern hemisphere, this means the threat of dehydration, and increased muscle pain, is hot on its heels. 

Why worry?  Let’s look at the effects of dehydration and why it's important to stay hydrated.

Some of the chronic symptoms of dehydration include:

Muscle pain and back spasms- think of this as localized thirst.  The cause may be because of the body’s increased production of histamine during a dehydrated state.  This chemical is responsible for directing the body’s water supply to its destination.  In the process, it triggers inflammation, pain, and allergic tendencies.

Stress and depression- During a state of dehydration, the body produces less serotonin in the brain.  This makes us sad.  Very sad.  And depression is a main contributor to chronic pain.

Insomnia- Along with reduced serotonin, the body also produces less melatonin during its dehydrated state.  Melatonin is the main chemical responsible for a good night’s rest.  As you probably have already guessed, lack of sleep contributes greatly to depression, leading to increased muscle pain!

Constipation- Dehydration is a common contributor to constipation.  Did you know that in addition to the general discomfort constipation causes, that it has also been found to be one of the prime contributors to sciatic pain?

Weight gain- Oh, this one got your attention, didn’t it?  Yes, failing to drink enough liquids every day can greatly contribute to both increased body weight and diabetes.  Higher body weight can mean increased health risks, depression, lessened physical activity and even more dehydration!  Keep in mind that there is quite often a direct link between piriformis syndrome/sciatic pain and being overweight.

Decreased mental acuity- This means when we’re dehydrated, we aren’t able to think clearly.  Just a small amount of dehydration inhibits our word-recall ability; that “oh, I can’t think of the word for some reason!” thing that bugs you so much when it happens. On top of that, with just a little more dehydration, your math skills become negatively affected.

With all of these reasons supporting why dehydration is a big deal and something to be avoided, it's important to understand how to determine if we are dehydrated?

Some quick indicators are dry mouth, weakness and fatigue, lightheadedness, dark urine, and asthma-like symptoms.  Keep in mind, if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  And as we age, our ability to perceive thirst diminishes - that thirst is often interpreted instead as hunger.

So how much water should we drink every day to prevent dehydration?

First, let’s clarify what we mean by water.  The common belief is that you must drink only plain water to stay properly hydrated.  Not so, according to the Mayo Clinic and several other sources.  Your water requirements can be met from a variety of sources.  Even a daily balanced diet contributes up to 20 percent of your body’s fluid requirements.

The general rule is that the source of your water should be caffeine free, calorie free and alcohol free.  However, these are not hard-fast rules. Juice can help us stay hydrated.  And coffee and tea can contribute to hydration in smaller amounts, although beware that caffeine is a diuretic and causes your body to get rid of its water faster.  If you’re unsure, it’s always safe to stick with the general rule.

The big question now, is how much water should we drink?

Everyone has heard the advice “Drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day”.  Many of us fail to follow that advice and drink less.  Experts, however, seem to agree that even that advice comes up short; making many of us even more dehydrated than we thought!

The amount of water we need is actually determined by a variety of factors: body weight, climate, and physical activity level.

For those who are physically inactive: Drink 40-50% of your body weight in ounces of water per day.  The more a person weighs, the more water their body requires.  The reason is that the body is 60-75% water!

For those who are physically active: Drink 75% of your body weight in ounces of water per day.  Fluid loss due to sweating can be significant during prolonged or strenuous activity.  That loss must be compensated for.

For those living in hot climates:  Add an additional 16 oz of water per day to the above recommendations.  Higher temperatures in the environment create higher levels of fluid loss.

So be sure to include 'keeping hydrated' on your list of health priorities:  Exercise, stretch (especially with the Piri-Stretcher® from Miracle Stretch®), drink water, eat right, and get those 8 hours of sleep at night for a healthier, happier, pain-free life.