Why Is Drinking Water Important To My Chiropractic Care?

By Dr. Brandon Siegmund

May 14, 2015


Drinking water is critical for over all health. As the hot summer months are approaching, the importance of proper water intake becomes more crucial. One of the questions that you may be asking yourself is why is water important to my chiropractic care?

The body is composed of roughly 70% water and even more in the brain at 85%. Lowered water consumption can lead to decreased mental and physical function with possible headache symptoms like dizziness or fatigue. Also, the connective tissues in your spine are directly affected by how much water you drink on a daily basis.

By drinking below your normal water level you could be losing strength and flexibility of your body’s ligaments.

This weakening of the body’s tissues ability to hold the adjustment to your spine by dehydration affects how long the vertebra will stay in place and that causes you to return to our office more frequently. So yes, proper hydration is directly proportional to how quickly you may respond to chiropractic care.

A common misconception is that taking in fluids like coffee and sugary drinks like sweet tea and sodas will help with your body’s water level but it actually leads to further dehydration and you must replace the intake of these types of fluids with even more water.

What is the optimum amount of water a person should drink?

In order to maintain healthy connective tissue in your spine you should drink X number of ounces of water (X = .5 multiplied by your body weight in pounds). So, a 160-pound person should be drinking 80 ounces of water per day. Now that you have the basic formula for proper hydration, use your body weight and divide by two and that’s the amount of water in ounces you should consume daily.

So, as the summer heats up you are at risk of sunstroke if our bodies become dehydrated. When we sweat, it cools the body down and if without enough water in our system, the body cannot sweat and overheats, which can damage the body’s internal organs.

If increasing your water intake seems like a task, try adding lemon or mint to your bottle to make it taste better and less boring. Eating more fruits rich in water such as watermelon can also help, and try to drink water more regularly over the course of the day. Carrying a water jug or water bottle near you during the day has been shown to increase water consumption without effort.

Dr. Brandon Siegmund

About the author

Dr. Brandon Siegmund was born and raised outside of Fort Worth. After he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, Dr. Siegmund performed clinical research at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Click Here To Read Full Bio

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