Introduction
You may have been told by your doctor or another health professional to drink sufficient amounts of water in order to recover well. Water has many functions within the human body, plays a key role in the recovery of many conditions and is important for good overall health. It allows us to stay alive and keeps us looking young and healthy.
One common sign of dehydration is joint pain. But how can a lack of water intake cause my joints to hurt? What are the signs of dehydration? What is the relationship between dehydration and joint pain? How often should I refill my glass of water per day ? Read this article in its full length to get your answers to those questions!
Water’s Main Function
One of the main functions is that it acts as a transport medium within our bloodstream. By maintaining adequate hydration levels we can increase our circulating blood volume and in turn optimize our blood flow to important tissues. This in turn can help to maximize the delivery of important nutrients (oxygen, for example) to our recovering muscles and organs. At the same time it can effectively clear waste products from your cell’s metabolism.
The human body is made up of approximately ⅔ of water (with men containing more water than women). Therefore it would make sense that regularly having insufficient quantities may present itself through specific signs and symptoms.
Joint Anatomy
We first need to understand the anatomy of joints to make sense of why dehydration can cause joint pain. Joints are areas where two the ends of two bones meet and movement occurs. Most human joints are classified as synovial joints. This refers to joints with a synovial fluid-filled cavity encapsulated by a fibrous capsule.
The end of bones (where the joint is formed) is made out of cartilage, a strong and smooth surface that protects the joint surfaces against weight-bearing stresses. Synovial joints are the most common joints in the human body.
Proper production of synovial fluid by your synovium (connective tissue that lines the cartilage) is required to maintain joint health, as it functions to facilitate proper joint mechanics and movement. The joint is surrounded by supporting ligaments, as well as connective tissue, referred to as the joint capsule to provide joint stability.
Dehydration – Signs & Symptoms
As alluded to above, dehydration can present itself in many ways. Mild dehydration typically occurs after failing to take in adequate fluids for a couple of days. Beside joint pain, common signs and symptoms of mild dehydration can include:
1. Feeling Thirsty
Why? Your body detects low amounts of blood volume. As a result, it increases your blood pressure to get adequate levels of blood to the tissues. Increased blood pressure signals your kidneys to retain more water, which causes the release of hormones signalling you to increase your fluid intake.
2. Dry Mouth
Why? Your salivary glands are small little organs that are responsible for the production of saliva. If they are not receiving enough fluids to perform their job your saliva can become thicker and stickier. This can make your mouth feel dry.
3. Dry Skin
Why? When you are dehydrated, your body likes to hold on to as much water as it can. Increases in blood pressure as a result of lower blood volumes signals the kidneys to retain more water. As a result, your urgency to pee decreases as less urine makes it into your bladder. A normal peeing frequency is 6-8x per day.
4. Muscle Cramps
Why? You may experience muscle cramps when you’re dehydrated as it can decrease the delivery of important electrolytes. Electrolytes are a group of minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium) that play a key role in muscle function. Imbalances of those minerals can cause your muscle to start cramping.
5. Infrequent Peeing
Why? When you are dehydrated, your body likes to hold on to as much water as it can. Increases in blood pressure as a result of lower blood volumes signals the kidneys to retain more water. As a result, your urgency to pee decreases as less urine makes it into your bladder. A normal peeing frequency is 6-8x per day.
6. Yellow, Dark Pee
Why? An easy way to assess your hydration is by looking at the color of your urine. See, the main function of peeing is to eliminate waste products from your body. One of your water-soluble waste products is called urobilin, which causes your pee to turn yellow. Typically, the higher the concentration of urobilin within your urine, the more yellow it becomes. The less water your body contains, the less frequently it removes waste products from your body, resulting in a higher concentration of urobilin.
7. Headaches
Why? Headaches can occur due to hundreds of reasons. Research suggests that dehydration headaches are often caused by electrolyte imbalances (as is the case with muscle cramps). Dehydration headaches frequently feel like a hangover headache, presenting itself as an ache surrounding your temple regions that worsen with physical activity.
Severe Dehydration – Signs and Symptoms
Dehydration, in its more severe form, can present itself through more serious signs and symptoms. Due to dehydration’s effects on all organs of the human body, it can have severe effects, including, but not limited to
- Feelings of dizziness
- Rapid heartbeats / breathing
- Sleepiness
- Confusion and Irritability
- Kidney disease
- Immune system
- Poor overall health
Relationship between Dehydration and Joint Pain
As you already learned in the previous sections, many of your body’s structures require adequate levels of water to function at their optimal capacity. Your joints are no exception. But why does a lack of water intake cause your joints to hurt?
The short answer to that question is that all of the structures that make up your joints (cartilage, synovial fluid, connective tissue, as well as surrounding musculature) require water to function properly. Without water, your cartilage does not absorb shock as well as it normally does, your synovial fluid does not lubricate your joints as well, and your capsules’ tensile properties weaken. Additionally, your immune system is unable to effectively decrease inflammation caused by the irritation of your joint in a dehydrated state. Lastly, the effectiveness of your joint’s surrounding musculature decreases depending on its water content. This occurs because dehydration causes the main muscle contraction mechanism to worsen, which frequently results in decreased joint stability.
Structures & Their Need for Water
- Joint Cartilage. Your cartilage consists of roughly 70-80 percent water. If you are dehydrated, your body’s cartilage can lose its sponginess and become temporarily more brittle. This can result in decreased ability to absorb shock, increased joint friction, and results in greater overall joint stiffness.
- Production of Synovial Fluid. As mentioned earlier, synovial joints require adequate production of synovial fluid by your synovium to lubricate the joints, decrease joint friction, and facilitate joint movement. Synovial fluid also has a little cushioning effect on the joint, which can help decrease the impact on your joint surfaces.
- Articular Capsule. As with all other structures within the body, a component of your capsule (connective tissue that surrounds your joint and provides joint stability) is water. Without enough of it, your capsule’s tensile strength (its resistance to stress) weakens. This can temporarily alter your joint mechanics, resulting in movements past your joint’s comfortable range within the joint and make you experience pain.
- Muscles. Muscles surround all joints of the human body and are responsible for the actual movement within your joints. If your muscles are not getting enough water supplied to them, their function can be affected as well. Research has shown that dehydration can prevent the actual cross-bridge formation of muscle cells – the main mechanism responsible for muscle contraction. Without this mechanism, your muscles are unable to properly support and reduce the loads on the joint, and can leave your muscles weak and ineffective.
- Immune System. A strong immune system can help to decrease inflammation that may be present within the joint due to reasons other than dehydration. A well-working immune system is needed to properly produce the chemicals necessary to promote quick recovery of existing joint injuries and decrease joint irritation that may be present as a result of joint structures not performing their job properly.
Recommendations for Proper Hydration
The current general recommendations for proper hydration is to drink approximately 12x 8-ounce glasses of water per day. The actual amount of water, of course, depends on factors such as age, height, and body composition, however 12 cups is a great number to aim for. If this sounds difficult to achieve for you, try and set reminders during the day or get yourself a water bottle that lights up and tracks your water intake.
A great way to ensure that you are drinking enough water is to glance over the following factors and see how you can adjust your water intake to your personal lifestyle and environment. To find out more about how much water should be added to your daily intake, click on the link before, as this was covered in a previous article already.
- Gender
- Exercise / Activity level
- Environment
- Overall Health
- Pregnancy / Breast-Feeding
Dangers of Hyponatremia
After reading this article you may be tempted to attempt to replenish your hydration status by quickly drinking a few glasses of water. However, before you do that, a word of caution. You should be aware of the potential significant adverse effects of rapidly drinking high quantities of water without sufficient amounts of electrolytes. Otherwise, you may be at risk for hyponatremia.
Hyponatremia stands for “too little sodium” and can occur when your body’s levels of sodium are below normal levels required for cell functioning. There are many functions of sodium within your body, including fluid balance, nerve signal propagation, as well as muscle function.
In order to prevent it, it is important to be aware of the signs of hyponatremia. The most common and immediate signs can include headaches, nausea, confusion and loss of energy. In severe cases, vomiting, seizures and death can occur. Prevent hyponatremia by drinking your water in moderation and by having sports drink instead of pure water.
Conclusion
Water is important for maintaining proper cell function and keep you looking young and healthy. Dehydration can present itself in many ways and can have negative effects on your function and vital organs. In addition to that, it can often cause joint pain, as your joint’s structures rely on water to lubricate your joint surfaces, absorb shock, and keep your joint’s properly aligned.
Even though water intake recommendations depend on the individual, their lifestyle and environment, it is good to aim for approximately 12x 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Before you start drinking plenty of water, make sure you are aware of the effects of hyponatremia, which can happen when your electrolytes dilute when you drink too much water in too little time.
References
[1] Dehydration and Joint Pain: How Your Hydration is Affecting Joint Health. (2021, February 17). Retrieved from https://orthopedicassociates.org/dehydration-and-joint-pain-how-your-hydration-is-affecting-joint-health/
[2] Dehydration – Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Prevention. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults
[3] “Dehydration Headache: Symptoms, Remedies, And Prevention”. Healthline, 2021, https://www.healthline.com/health/dehydration-headache.