Most often when people come to my massage practice complaining of joint/back pain (and advil isn’t helping) I find out about their water intake and ask them to try an experiment with drinking more water; “Keep a glass of water at your bedside and drink it if you wake up at night, when you wake up in the morning notice your stiffness.”

I feel if most doctors educate their patients on water intake they will not have many aches and pains. Water is the most important nutrient for our bodies, it is involved in every function. Many people don’t even drink water…coffee, soda and juice that are caffeine and sugar laden actually steal water from your body doing more harm than good. Nothing beats good clean water. Most Americans bodies are starved of clean, natural water. They can suffer from headaches, back pain, arthritis, skin problems, digestion problems, heartburn and many other symptoms. The cure for your joint pain backaches and headaches can be as close as a glass of water.

Your body loses about 2 Quarts of water a day through perspiration, urination and exhalation. If you wait until you are thirsty – you are already dehydrated. You need to drink half of your body weight in water. Your 5 most important organs need water to function are: the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Your body needs to keep these organs hydrated or you will suffer serious consequences. If you don’t drink enough water your body will steal water from muscles, joints, skin and even bones. Non vital organs will suffer. The skin, the gastrointestinal tract, joints and muscles will show signs of dehydration.

The major signs of dehydration are joint and arthritis pain, high blood pressure, heart burn and asthma. As we age, our bodies signal for thirst decreases which may be why elderly people don’t drink much water therefore more vulnerable to dehydration. Many Americans live in a mildly dehydrated state and never realize it. By drinking water, you can eliminate aches and pains, improve your memory, manage your appetite, lose weight and slow aging. Water revives cells!

Increase your intake of salads, vegetables, fruit – they all contain a high percentage of water (if you can’t drink your water, eat it!) By giving your body the water needs, you will maintain your youth and smarts longer….Drink up