March 10, 2017
Natural Wealth, Natural Health
It was a great 9-mile hike. And I was especially pleased that I was able to complete it in 3½ hours (I was in a hurry to get to my friends’ house for dinner…and all that hiking had me starving).
Now all I had to do was go home for a quick shower before heading out to my feast.
I pulled into my driveway, got out of the car, and …OW!
My back seized up in spasm. I tried rubbing it out, but it still hurt like hell.
So I made my way up the stairs, hopped in the shower and aimed the hot water jets from my shower head right on the sore spot of my back.
It helped a little, but not nearly as much as I would’ve liked.
At dinner, the spasm eased up somewhat, and I did manage to enjoy myself. But it hurt enough that night for me to put a heating pad on it
The next day it was a little better, and the day a after that the pain had pretty much subsided.
What in hell caused it?
Upon reflection, I suspect it was from not having had enough water to drink during my hike.
I had been in a big hurry, and only drank about a liter of water during that hike.
Normally, for a trek that long, I’d drink at least two liters, and usually a little more.
The lesson for *you* here is, if you suffer from back pain, the first thing you should do is think about how much water you typically drink every day.
That’s because chronic dehydration can cause all sorts of aches and pains … especially back pain.
See, the discs in your lower back that separate your spinal vertebrae are designed to absorb stress and facilitate movement.
In so doing, they are completely dependent on how much water they receive. When pressure is applied the discs, they extrude water to compensate for the added stress.
When that pressure is relieved, a vacuum is created inside the disc space and water rapidly flows in, rehydrating and cushioning the vertebrae.
Without this powerful water surge, these discs flatten and slip out of spinal alignment, causing acute and chronic pain on the nerves behind the disc.
So, if you’re in any kind of chronic pain – especially back pain – don’t follow my Thanksgiving Day example.
Start upping your water intake instead.
That’s it for this week.
Have fun this weekend, and stay hydrated!
Doug Fogel
Co-author of the “Gentle Hands” Headache DVD
More info at: