We’ve been asked whether a person should drink water after receiving an adjustment. It’s important to provide the body with clean, pure water. It is one of the most essential building blocks of a healthy body, yet many, if not most people simply don’t give their body enough water. Keep in mind that some beverages have other ingredients in them that may actually deplete your tissues, cells and organs of water. The bottom line is, we can’t expect an extra latte, or a big glass of ice tea, to give our body the water that it needs. The best healthiest way is to simply drink pure, clear water.
Returning to the original question, Is it important to drink water after a chiropractic adjustment? Yes, it’s important to drink water, but not any more so than at other times. Although we don’t know why the questioner asked about water in particular, there are occasions after which it’s particularly helpful to drink water. Strenuous exercise like running, and many outdoor activities, especially in the sun and warmer temperatures dramatically increase the body’s need for water. There are other times, like after receiving a massage. That’s because the work of a massage therapist releases toxins from tight muscles and water is needed to move those out of the system. However, getting a chiropractic adjustment bears no relationship to that, either in purpose or effect. While massage may be a relaxing, even healthful experience, it has nothing whatever to do with chiropractic.
To clearly see the difference, massage is done to bring relaxation and to feel good. Chiropractic, on the other hand, is done to help a person function properly. A precise chiropractic adjustment corrects a vertebral subluxation. A subluxated vertebra insults the body’s nerve system interfering with the ability of the brain to communicate effectively with the rest of the body. Since the brain is responsible for controlling and coordinating all body functions, the effects of a subluxated vertebra can be far reaching, even devastating. Thus, while an adjustment is essential to a person’s ability to function, and perform at the top of their game, it doesn’t add to or take away from a person’s constant need for pure, fresh water.