I turned 39 at the end of December, and with that came a whole host of aches and pains. I thought I was just imagining things because I was eyeing my impending 40s with some trepidation. But then the spasms began, starting with my left hand. My left shoulder joint starting feeling like it was seizing up, and then the right shoulder blade seemed to be grating itself into little pieces. My back was killing me, each vertebra crunching against each other like little disks of sand. These were pains I had never experienced before, and the usual three-day window it normally takes my body to bounce back from a strain had stretched well into 9 days, no improvement in sight. In fact, things seemed to be getting worse, which didn’t help my mood.
“So this is how it begins,” I thought gloomily. “Total body distintegration. Just in time for my 40s.” I mentallly flipped through the various exotic illnesses that could be afflicting me, my imagination fueled by the recent House marathon I had taken in over Christmas, none of them particularly amusing in this context. I feel into a dark mood, lacking energy and clarity. I stayed in the house for almost the entire week, talking to no one, pushing at projects in a vain attempt to keep my mind off the imminent physical collapse of my body.
Then yesterday, I grudgingly went to have dinner with a group of friends at a very nice Sze-Chuan restaurant in Billerica that serves what is possibly the best Chinese food I’ve had in the area. Grouchy and in pain, I nevertheless put on my best face to fulfill my social obligation. Why? I know from experience that when I put myself in a place where I’m forced to deal with different realities, new insights always arise.
As usual, the company and meal were excellent, which helped lift my spirits. My friends, however, noticed that I was having some back pain because I was making very odd contorted stretching motions. I explained myself.
“You’ve never done THAT before, Dave,” commented B with some concern.
The other B nodded. “You should take some Alleve to make the swelling go down. That will help.”
I nodded grimly. I’d taken some pain medicine, which is a rarity for me since I don’t like putting drugs in my body. I also knew it was just a temporary measure, because this type of pain was something entirely new to me. The “Lion’s Head” soup, a specialty that I normally enjoyed, failed to register on my tongue at all as I stewed in my thoughts. I noted with disconsolation that I’d finished the bowl without remembering to enjoy it. “Yes, I’ve been taking some Tylenol, but this back pain is something new I haven’t experienced before. I’m worried it’s something really bad.”
P, who had come a little later than the rest of us, perked up at the mention of my back problems. “Oh, I had that a while ago, and it turned out that I was just really dehydrated.“
This was an unexpected diagnosis, and I found the idea that dehydration and back pain were related interesting. I had noticed that I was drinking unusually little water recently, and I pressed for more details.
“I was googling for information on back pain,” answered P, “and one of the first things that popped up was dehydration and chiropractice. Apparently, when you don’t drink enough water, your body isn’t ‘lubed up’ enough and your muscles shrink, which causes joints to rub together more. So I drank a lot more water, and the pain went away.”
When I got home, I started drinking water to make up for lost time. Normally, you’re supposed to drink at least 64oz a day. I had been probably doing less than 24 oz of liquid a day for several weeks, since I was just not feeling that thirsty. I drank water throughout the next day as well, and you know what? I felt better. The crackly pain in my back went away after about 12 hours. The knife-like pain in my right shoulder turned into a regular throbbing. I felt…juicier! Apparently I had been turning my muscles into beef jerky by not drinking enough water. The numbness and spasms in my arms and hands have also started to fade away. It might be too early to call, but I can say that drinking water seems to make a palpable difference in the way I’m feeling. A quick Google seemed to corroborate P’s diagnosis:
The human body also has its emergency calls for water. These are localized emergency calls. We call these heartburn, rheumatoid joint pain, back pain, migraine headaches, colitis pain, fibromyalgiac pain, even angina pain — signs of dehydration in the body. — from Joint pain, back pain, arthritis cause by chronic dehydration, says doctor
Pain may be a warning of localized thirst; that is, the pain signal may be a warning of dehydration in that specific area (a regional thirst), for example low back pain, migraine headache, joint pain, and angina. Chronic dehydration may contribute to a reduction in lymph flow, which in turn may contribute to or cause varied problems. — from Diagnose Me: Condition: Dehydration
I knew that drinking water was good for you, but I had never bothered to find out what could go wrong when you are a pint or two low. Dehydration is usually mentioned as a cause of death only when you’re reading about shipwrecks, which is outside the realm of our everyday experience.
So the moral of the story: DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Or else!
UPDATE: There are many excellent reader insights in the comments below, presenting a multitude of views. Well worth reading.
Maurice J 
Moneca Yardley 
Dr.Hayze 
I would suggest a regimen of vitamins with your water. I started taking them a few weeks ago and I can actually feel the difference!
I find that my energy level at any given time is related to my water intake.
Also, I’m surprised no one mentioned constipation. Good hydration fixes it and keeps one regular.
And don’t forget about much smoother skin.
Pee clear
yes, lack of water causes constipation problem. I am a sufferer. I would always force myself to drink at least 1.5 liter each day. But seems like water rentention play a important part. Some people drink little water but dont have such problem. Strange.
Check out “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water” at Amazon. Good read.
I have been a migraine sufferer since age 17, and had been told by my son that it is triggered by dehydration. So I would try to drink water or Gatorade after working up a sweat. Despite that effort I have been having numerous late morning migraines. It finally dawned on me that my routine was leaving me dehydrated. No evening beverages, eight hours of sleep and then 2 cups of coffee left me vulnerable to the migraines. Now, the first thing I do in the morning is have an 8 ounce glass of tap water and no more migraines. What a simple solution. Of course it’s advisable to have more water as the day goes on, especially if you work up a sweat.
Thanks to all of you for being my teachers!!
While I have been aware of the water connection for basic body maintenance for most of my life, new input is always appreciated. To wit: a close friend, having worked in a boilerroom wherein most fellow employees experienced mild to severe stomach upsets due to the typically unrealistic business goals discovered that a small glass of water, heated to lukewarm in a microwave, was sufficient to quell the heartburn brought on by such overwhelming emotional pressures. I have tried it-mind you, I was rather skeptical-and was amazed at the speed and efficacy of this simple remedy. Add to this the fact that exercise(something as seemingly insignificant as a daily half-hour walk has truly demonstrable beneficial effects on digestion, etc.) in combination with all the clues you folks have shared here might only be ignored to our detriment and we have ample reason to look into the subject that much further.
Wonderful postings, all of you. A tip of the hat!
Maybe I missed it but I dodn’t see any references to work done by Dr. Batmanghelidj, who, I believe, is one of the originators of the water cure idea.
A great thread. It has certianly opened my eyes again concerning water.
Let me start by saying that I drink approximately 8-10 cokes a day.
Many years ago while I was working as a golf pro. My back would hurt pretty severly on and off. I was playing in a golf tournament, 36 holes in 1 day. I was leading after 18 holes, went in to have lunch between rounds, and when I got up I had that 30% bend thing going on that others have described. I struggled through the 2nd round, lost the lead and drove home very dejected. When I arrived home I literally could not get out of the car. Had to honk the horn to have my girlfriend, now my wife to get me out of the car.
So I had no clue what to do, so she sent me to see a holistic chiroprator. So I went and she snap me a little and said that my problem was not drinking enough water. That my kidneys were under so much stress it was effecting all the muscles in my back. she told me to try to drink a glass of water with every Coke. I did it and a few days later I was fine. Of course i was not faithful, and to this day i only think about drinking water when my back hurts, it always relieves the pain quite quickly.
I did go through one period(about 3-4 weeks) where I drank almost only water. As I think about it, this was also the period where i shot my lowest career tournament score (64). I always thought it was due to the absence of Cokes, but as I think it about it, it was probably more due to the addition of water.
All that isn’t even while I am writing. The real reason was the water – headache link. I have suffered through migraine headaches all my life (1-2 week), they have pretty much put a damper on almost everything I do. I never could find any relief. I read somewhere a few weeks ago about using Gatorade when you feel a headache coming on. I tried it and it was just partially successful. I went to find out more and came across the “80% of migraines are caused by dehydration” quote. Yesterday after playing golf on a hot day(86), near the end of the round the migraine starte coming. Once they come there is usually little relief for many hours. But yesterday I drank a couple bottles of water and viola the migraine was gone withing 15-20 minutes.
If this continues, it will be absolutely life changing. And also it makes me feel like a GD jerk, as many people all through my life had told me the cokes will kill me. Although they are not entirely right, (Coke won’t kill me, but lack of water will) I really regret waiting to listen to them.
Onwards to a life full of H20. By the way, there were many days of drinking a gallon + of cokes. If I can drink that, there is no way in the world that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is going to hurt anyone. I am going to make sure that I get the 64 oz of water everyday and then perhaps I will not even want nearly as many cokes.
The jury is out.. I started this four days back .. Am feeling good .. Notice that i get lesser back aches .. Definitely want to check out for a longer period and check the claims.. have been doing 1.25l a day in the morning and am still alive :-) … but yeah excess is reported to kill .. caution is advisable ..
These and the practice by a few of my friends is what got me into it .
http://www.ashram.org/html/WaterAsMedicine.htm
http://www.wonderfulinfo.com/vinfo/wtherapy.htm
<http://acq-thehealingpowerofwater.blogspot.com>::shameless plug::</a>A friend of mine has just self-published a book on the “Healing Power of Water”. Unfortunately that more famous Japanese writer published the same title the same week! Anyway, I’d just like to invite anyone interested in this topic to get the book. There is an exact formula for how much each individual should drink each day. And the author covers the relationship of water intake to weight-loss, good skin and body-building, and looks at the role dehydration plays in a number of common ailments. It’s an easy read but well-researched and thought-provoking. <http://acq-thehealingpowerofwater.blogspot.com>::shameless plug::</a>
Just a reminder, drinking enough water means water. Sports drinks or herbal tea ok but really water is best. Coffee, black tea and caffinated beverages are diuretics, they take water out of your system. So when calculating how much you are drinking reminder to subtract atleast one or even two cups of water for every one cup of coffee.
hi david,
i was reading a book called blog blazers and you are listed as a blogger to watch. of course i have been reading but not browsing any of the blogs due to my schedule and lack of time.
yet as i read your article heading, the healing powers of water, i thought, wow that is right up my alley. as you will read in my blog, i am a water dealer and i am doing my best to figure out how to get the water ideal out to the general public and not just hound my friends and clients to death.
water is essential and this last year i have learnt so much about the body and its relationship with water. there are great books on the subject but the one that everyone likes talking about is by dr.batmanghelidi, the water cure. all the aches and pains you were discribing are mentioned in his writings.
as an aside, i have always told my clients that when you turn forty, it feels like every cell in your body dries up. really, the endocrine system especially. so now that i am 48, finding ionic, alkalining water system was a no brainer. to pay for my own unit and to build a future business, i am learning to market any way i can and i think blogging is one of the best ways.
that is why i am on the road of learning to blog and market http://www.ionways.com/yeswater and also find a client base for my virtual quantum biofeedback technology. i am a registered shiatsu therapist but really how long can i expect myself to do just that when i have bigger and better things share.
thanks a lot for being in the blogblazer book and letting me write a comment on your blog.
be well and take care.
Studies have been done that show up to 80% of all back pain is directly related to dehydration.
To quote the late, revered Dr. Batman (longer Indian name, sorry for not stopping to find the spelling, but he is well known for his water theories), “you are not sick, you are thirsty!”
““but yeah excess is reported to kill .. caution is advisable ..”“
that woman in sacramento drank a TON of water all at once to try to win some radio program…
very hard to die from over consumption of water…
one thing that happens with dehydration is your thirst mechanism turns off.
very important thing for your body, water… I recommend high alkaline negative ion mineral water… works better than regular h2o, it is actually oh-, and is pretty amazing stuff.
yes, if you want to read up on antioxident water, neg ion alkaline water, go to http://www.ionways.com/yeswater…; that is my site for researching this useful water system. it will be the wave of the future, learning what kinds of water we are drinking.
i am sure that drinking water to win a contest is not how most of us are doing it. still if water is 70% of our mass, it is important to know what is the most beneficial kind. if the water we drink is acidic ph of 4, dasani from the cola company, is, then it is like drinking soda which has a ph of 3. do the reading and see if it interests you.
i figure water is a precious resource and i can do my best to instruct my clients to chose a better way of hydration.
moneca yardley, registered shiatsu therapist RST
nice information in there, but i think that excessive amounts of water intake might ‘relief’ your back but it’ll actually ‘stress’ your kidneys through higher glomerular filtration, am i right ?
Hello David and all…
For the past 5 days I’ve been living with horrible back pain, almost to the point of wanted to cry at times.
Today, I found your blog through life hacker and I was very glad I did.
A bit about me… If I did heavy drugs, I would be Keith Richards. I don’t eat well, sleep well, don’t exercise, always tense about something and I have relationship and personal issues I’m dealing with right now. Needless to say, I’m a mess in many ways.
So when this back pain started, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Went to the doctor and get some 800mg Advil (Which I have taken here and there) and some other stuff (Cyclobenzaprine), which I’ve been Leary of taking. Of course, if I take that heavy Cyc——whatever, I’m sure it would loosen up my back and make me feel better for a time but I wanted to see if I could do it without that…
Last night I cut one of those pills in half and had it at the ready but I still could not pull the trigger. I slept in a way where I didn’t feel much pain but allowed me to sleep more than the 2 hours that has been the norm since dealing with the back pain.
So I get up this morning and I have pain and have my coffee (My favorite drink, which I drink to excess) and more pain and I read this. I drank the water I had by my chair (Yes, I slept in a chair) for the cyc pill I would take in the worse case scenario. Well, after that water and another glass… The pain started to become manageable. Now mind you, I’ve been wrecking my back the last few day trying, just trying to get better or not feel pain, pulling it in all different directions and it’s still very messed up but I have to say, the water did something.
Now, to give you the opposite side.. While feeling this wonder that water was doing for me, I got a call from a friend and while talking and standing and feeling alright, some of the pain came rushing back. Now, I have a bit of tension with this friend. Not a whole bunch, he’s a really good friend and we are working on a project together and we don’t agree on every little bit of it, which causes me tensions (some stuff I keep in and don’t say), by the end of the chat, my back was hurting once more, not as bad as before but bad enough that I had to go sit down and not move very much. So that TMS might have something to do with it as well.
However, I would believe that in life, we have things that are… MUST and one of those is water. The same as with breathing air. If we are without air or water for too long, we die. So it stands to reason that a doctor might ask first if you are drinking enough water or is your piss coming out bright yellow to light orange, which my doctor didn’t. I guess they just take it for granted that people drink the water they need to live well, which I don’t.
I know for a fact, an appropriate amount of water in your system is not a cure for back problems, what it might be and what I am starting to suspect is it’s an essential for not only proper daily functioning but for better healing. It’s also seemed to make the pain a lot more bearable and I feel this is because it’s making my back and spine more fluid but also beefing up (or puffing up) my somewhat atrophied muscles (Told you I take really bad care of myself).
So, writing this has put a lot of strain on my back and I have to rest but I’m going to add water to this mix of healing and see what else happens and I’ll follow up in a few days, if I’m able to.
Thanks again for the post David…
hi d,
i wrote long ago when was first starting as a ionways dealer with ionway.com/yeswater. i was really into selling alkaline water for about three years.
now i am promoting the amega global company, they offer a range of products that connect the body to zero point energy. started jan 18 2010 and have had 250 people decide to become distributers themselves.
zero point is a energy field that reminds the body to heal. i personally have unshakeable stories of all the benefits of using this tool to connect to healing. my ganglion on my wrist has disappeared since using just a wrapper from the dna repair drink. http://moneca.ca/itemlist/dna-amfood-and-wrapper/
the amega wand was truly life changing when i started, first as a skeptic. by day two, i notice that i was happy. day 3, i was electric, charged and rearing to go, what can be described as an alkalizing effect.
since january, i have had a wonderful time carrying my wand. i love showing the wands to my clients and my family. of course, every friend has had to buy a unit as well.
give me a call if you wish more info or go to my blog http://www.moneca.ca/amega-wand.
networking helps the body to heal!
moneca yardley, registered shiatsu therapist.
Follow up…
So far, so good… I might have over done it a bit in the beginning. I believe my body was just a tad in shock with all the water and didn’t know what to do with it… So try not to over do it…
However, now I’m just keeping track and making sure my water levels don’t drop to crazy low levels like they once did.
Back feeling better but still not right as the mail yet. Working on it and keeping hydrated has helped. Now, the next thing I want to work on is the air intake I get, I feel that breathing can help all that my back has been going through as well. Part of what I always felt, start with the basics of life, which have been in deep neglect for a long long time. Then it’s on the foods I eat and then my relationships with those in my life.
Long road I hope and one I’m looking forward to.