Staying hydrated is crucial for your general health and vital to your body’s joint health. Despite the vast majority of people knowing that staying adequately hydrated is essential for a healthy life, some sources claim as many as 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. When our body doesn’t receive enough hydration, it can lead to many problems, including problems with joint health and increased joint pain levels. At Macomb Pain Management, we strive to provide patients with the information they need to reduce pain in their lives and improve their overall health. Staying hydrated can improve joint health, decrease pain, and keep you healthy.
Hydration’s Role in Lubricating Joints
Your body’s joints have several ways of reducing friction when activated, including lubricating fluids like synovial fluid and cartilage, a tissue comprised mainly of water. When we become dehydrated, our joints cannot properly reduce friction levels due to decreased synovial fluid and cartilage tissue levels, which lose some of their cushioning and shock-absorbing benefits. While dehydration can lead to joint pain in everyone, patients living with chronic joint pain-causing conditions like osteoarthritis may experience increased joint pain levels if they do not stay properly hydrated.
Reduce Inflammation in the Body by Staying Properly Hydrated
Inflammation is often one of the root causes of joint pain and is frequently caused by a lack of hydration. Our body’s cells need proper hydration to transport nutrients and eliminate waste products, and they can become stressed when they do not receive enough water. This leads to inflammation markers that can build up in our joints, causing inflammation and increasing joint pain levels. This inflammation can be more severe and cause more pain in patients living with chronic joint conditions.
Staying Hydrated to Improve Flexibility and Mobility
Patients with chronic joint pain often experience decreased mobility and flexibility. This can be further worsened when the body is dehydrated, leading to muscle cramps and increased stiffness in joints. Staying properly hydrated can improve flexibility and mobility by preventing muscle cramps and reducing stiffness and inflammation in the joints.
Heal Faster From Injuries by Staying Hydrated
When we are injured, hydration is critical in supporting blood flow that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the injury site, speeding up recovery times in adequately hydrated patients. When we are injured and not adequately hydrated, recovery times can be longer, and pain levels can worsen due to increased inflammation from a lack of proper hydration. There is also evidence to support that dehydration can increase pain sensitivity, making injuries and chronic pain-causing conditions more painful to deal with.
How to Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration is a critical part of a pain management plan and provides patients with many pain-relieving benefits, faster recovery times, and increased levels of flexibility and mobility. You can stay hydrated throughout the day by aiming to drink eight eight-ounce cups of water daily or 64 ounces daily. The best way to do this is to keep water handy by purchasing a reusable water bottle throughout your day. Having a glass of water when you first wake up is another excellent way to jump-start your day and ensure you start your hydration first thing in the morning. If you need help reminding yourself to stay hydrated, you can set reminders on your phone or download an app that helps to track your hydration throughout the day.
Modern Joint Pain Management From The Experienced Doctors at Macomb Pain Management
While staying hydrated is one way to reduce joint pain, Macomb Pain Management offers several additional effective treatment plans. To start regaining your life from chronic joint pain, contact the team at Macomb Pain Management today at (248) 844-8281.
