Northern Chiropractic

11723 Old Glenn Highway, #101

Eagle River, AK 99577 US

907-696-4878

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • New Patient Center
    • Virtual Office Tour
    • What to Expect
      • Online Forms
      • Your First Visit
      • Phase 1: Relief Care
      • Phase 2: Corrective Care
      • Phase 3: Wellness Care
    • Health Resources
  • About Us
    • Meet the Doctor
    • Meet The Awesome Staff
    • Fun Office Photos
      • Our Wonderful Patients
      • Maui 2016
      • 2014 Business Persons' Race
      • 2013 Business Persons' Race
      • 2012 Office Christmas Dinner
      • 19th Annual Open House/Merry Merchant Munch
      • Maui 2012
      • Bear Paw Slippery Salmon Relay 2012
      • 2012 Business Persons' Race
      • Christmas Party 2011
      • 18th Annual Open House/Merry Merchant Munch
      • Bear Paw Slippery Salmon Relay 2010
      • Maui 2009
    • Services & Techniques
    • Our Wellness Partners
    • Northern Chiropractic Newsletter
  • Success Stories
  • Office Hours
  • Contact Us
  • Request An Appointment
  • Community Content
    • About Chiropractic Care
      • What is Chiropractic
      • How Does it Work
      • Who is Chiropractic For
      • Vertebral Subluxation
      • Wellness Resources
    • Common Conditions Treated
      • Auto Accident Injuries
      • Back and Shoulder Pain
      • Body Pain
      • Chronic Condition Relief
        • Conditions Affecting Women
        • Headaches
      • Herniated Discs
      • Improved Health
      • Pediatric Ailments
      • Repetitive Use Injuries
      • Respiratory Function
    • Health & Wellness
      • Healthy Thinking
        • Get Positive
        • Relaxation Techniques
      • Life in Motion
      • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
        • Treat Yourself Well
        • Treat Others Well
        • Eat Well
      • Wellness Essentials
        • At Home
        • At Work
        • Exercise
        • Nutrition
        • What You Wear
      • Wellness Perspectives
        • Physical
        • Social
        • Spiritual
        • Mental
    • Therapies & Techniques
      • Techniques
      • Therapies
    • Newsletter Library
      • Weight Loss
      • Staying Motivated
      • Staying Young
      • Life-Work Balance
      • Stress & Anxiety
      • Mind-Body Connection
      • Wellness
      • Pregnancy & Parenting
      • Back, Body & Joint Pain
      • Senior Health
      • Breaking Bad Habits
      • Healthy Tips
      • Exercise & Fitness
      • Injury Rehab & Prevention
      • Kid's Health
      • Illness Prevention
      • Chronic Conditions
      • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
    • Wellness4Kids
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Newsletter Library >
  • Dehydration and Back Pain

Dehydration and Back Pain

  • Created in Newsletter Library
Woman stopping to drink water while on a run

How Dehydration Affects the Body

Healthy nutrition includes drinking at least 4 to 8 glasses of water every day. Admittedly, this is a wide range, but 4 8-ounce glasses of water represents the minimum intake for adult men and women. A useful frame of reference is the presence or absence of thirst. Optimally, you should never feel as if your mouth and throat are dry and that you "need" a drink of water. For example, hikers are frequently reminded by trail guides to drink water continuously throughout a hike. Experienced trail guides add the friendly warning that "if you feel thirsty, it's too late" to ward off a headache and other symptoms of dehydration such as dizziness and confusion.

Sufficient water intake is critically important in maintaining normal physiological processes and eliminating metabolic waste products. All cells are aqueous environments. Drinking appropriate amounts of water every day aids each and every one of your body's cells in performing its numerous functions so that you remain healthy and well. Also, water is a key component of the intervertebral discs. These shock-absorbing cartilaginous structures assist your spinal column in supporting the weight of your head and torso and distributing mechanical loads so that you can effectively perform physical tasks such as carrying weights.

The intervertebral discs consist of a fibrocartilaginous outer ring (the annulus fibrosus) and a gelatinous center (the nucleus pulposus). Water is a significant component of both structures, especially the nucleus pulposus. Intervertebral discs begin to degenerate by the age of 4, and begin to gradually lose their blood supply, turgor, weight-distributing, and shock-absorbing capabilities. If dehydration has affected the intervertebral discs and has begun to result in clinically significant degeneration of a disc or discs, a person may experience back injury, and ultimately chronic back pain. Thus, for many reasons, ensuring optimal daily hydration is critically important for all members of the family, including children, adults, and older adults.

Sufficient daily water intake should be accompanied by the components of a healthy diet, including eating regularly from a wide variety of food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and possibly dairy products. For example, all family members should eat at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. As well, a complete healthy lifestyle includes regular vigorous exercise. Five sessions per week of at least 30 minutes per session is recommended. Regular exercise provides mechanical challenges to bones, joints, intervertebral discs, and other musculoskeletal soft tissues, enabling these structures to obtain and maintain optimal strength, flexibility, and resilience.

Regular chiropractic care helps coordinate all your healthy lifestyle activities. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments as well as removing sources of nerve interference, regular chiropractic care helps all members of the family get the most out of their nutritional and exercise programs. As a result, regular chiropractic care assists children, adults, and seniors to achieve long-term health and well-being.

Huang YC, et al: Intervertebral disc regeneration: do nutrients lead the way? Nat Rev Rheumatol 10(9):561-566, 2014

Amin DB1 et al: Effect of degeneration on the six degree of freedom mechanical properties of human lumbar spine segments. J Orthop Res 34(8):1399-1409, 2016

Von Forell GA, et al: Low Back Pain: A Biomechanical Rational Based on "Patterns" of Disc Degeneration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 40(15):1165-1172, 2015

  • About Chiropractic Care
    • What is Chiropractic
    • How Does it Work
    • Who is Chiropractic For
    • Vertebral Subluxation
    • Wellness Resources
  • Common Conditions Treated
    • Auto Accident Injuries
    • Back and Shoulder Pain
    • Body Pain
    • Chronic Condition Relief
      • Conditions Affecting Women
      • Headaches
    • Herniated Discs
    • Improved Health
    • Pediatric Ailments
    • Repetitive Use Injuries
    • Respiratory Function
  • Health & Wellness
    • Healthy Thinking
      • Get Positive
      • Relaxation Techniques
    • Life in Motion
    • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
      • Treat Yourself Well
      • Treat Others Well
      • Eat Well
    • Wellness Essentials
      • At Home
      • At Work
      • Exercise
      • Nutrition
      • What You Wear
    • Wellness Perspectives
      • Physical
      • Social
      • Spiritual
      • Mental
  • Therapies & Techniques
    • Techniques
    • Therapies
  • Newsletter Library
    • Weight Loss
    • Staying Motivated
    • Staying Young
    • Life-Work Balance
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Mind-Body Connection
    • Wellness
    • Pregnancy & Parenting
    • Back, Body & Joint Pain
    • Senior Health
    • Breaking Bad Habits
    • Healthy Tips
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Injury Rehab & Prevention
    • Kid's Health
    • Illness Prevention
    • Chronic Conditions
    • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
  • Wellness4Kids

Sign-up using the form or call us at 907-696-4878 to make your appointment today!

Featured Services

Click to Find Out More

  • Services

    We strive to provide complete care for our patients. Learn more about all the services we provide.
  • Online Forms

    Our patient forms are available online so they can be completed in the convenience of your own home or office.

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Northern Chiropractic

Monday:

7:00 am - 5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:00 am - 5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Location

Find us on the map

Testimonial

  • "I have been a patient of Dr. Greg’s since 1996. Back when my children were still young and he had none. Dr. Greg has helped me in many ways, from injury, recovery to keeping me mobile through an extremely long and difficult medical issue. Barb his senior massage therapist has been right there providing massage treatment that complimented Dr. Greg’s therapy. His entire office staff is very sweet, nice and professional. That is why I refer Dr. Greg and Northern Chiropractic at every opportunity."
    Dana C. / Chugiak

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

  • Don't Let Back Pain Get You Down This Summer; Chiropractic Can Help

    Spending too much time on the couch due to back pain this summer? Chiropractic treatment could help you salvage your summer. ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic Care for Osteoarthritis

    Tired of living with osteoarthritis pain? Your chiropractor may be able to help. ...

    Read More
  • Myofascial Release

    Not all pain is caused by obvious injuries like broken bones or cuts. Some pain may stem from the myofascial tissues. These tough membranes are wrapped around your muscles to provide support and connect them to other parts of the body. When myofascial tissue becomes stiff, it may restrict movement in ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic and Headaches

    Have headaches become an unwelcome part of your life? Chiropractic care may help you finally get rid of your pain. ...

    Read More
  • How to Make Sure Your Chiropractic Adjustment Lasts

    A few surprisingly simple steps can help you maintain your chiropractic adjustment results longer. ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic and Vertigo

    Medication isn't the only solution if you suffer from vertigo. Chiropractic treatment may finally stop the spinning. ...

    Read More
  • The 3 Most Common Chiropractic Questions Answered

    Looking for a natural way to treat pain? Chiropractic care offers an effective solution. ...

    Read More
  • How Chiropractic Care Can Help While Pregnant

    Tired of pregnancy aches and pains? Chiropractic care can ease your symptoms naturally. ...

    Read More
  • How to Enjoy Summertime Activities Without Back Pain

    Want to avoid an aching back this summer? Try a few of these suggestions. ...

    Read More
  • Winter Activities that Can Cause Pain and How to Prevent It

    Do you know how to avoid winter aches and pains? ...

    Read More

Newsletter Sign Up

Follow Us

  • Copyright © 2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • ACA Notices
  • Site Map