Water consumption and back pain
If you are a back pain sufferer you may well benefit from increasing the amount of water you drink. The reason for this in the book "Your body's many cries for water" by Dr F Batmanghhelidj. The discs between your vertebrae are very water rich and ordinary movement creates intermittent pressures on the discs which encourage a healthy flow of fluids in and out of the discs.
This keeps the discs flexible and strong. However, if water drinking is inadequate the cells and tissues of the body will be less hydrated than they should be, including the discs. This makes them more "brittle" and more prone to damage especially if someone is overweight and not getting enough exercise. Excess pressures on the discs will squeeze more fluids out of them so they will become more desiccated and degenerate.
Osteopathy: is a highly skilled hands-on form of diagnosis and treatment
- it is primarily aimed at the human frame, i.e. bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons, fascia.
- Osteopaths are trained to locate strains, twists, inflammation, muscle tightness, etc., through hands-on palpation.
- Osteopaths are trained in orthopaedic tests
- Osteopaths assess posture, lifestyle and work habits which may be influential in the patient’s condition.
- Osteopaths use x-ray and scan results where necessary.Osteopaths learn human anatomy in great detail enabling them to treat with an understanding of what is going on beneath the skin.Osteopaths are trained to pick up serious medical problems and know when it is not safe to treat.
- Osteopaths use a wide variety of massage and manipulation techniques and treatment is targeted at the affected area of the body and aims to help normalise the tissues, e.g. loosen tight joints, correct twisted vertebrae, ease pain and inflammation.
Written by Clif Lomass
