Why you should stay hydrated after an osteopathy treatment.

Many of us are slack at drinking the recommended daily intake of water at the best of times. (That’s about 2 litres, in case you are wondering.) After treatment, we always recommend staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water. That’s not just us trying to encourage our patients to stick to this recommendation, it also has benefits to make your treatment more effective.

An osteopathy treatment can cause tiredness or fatigue. Keeping well hydrated will help combat any tiredness you may experience. Dehydrated muscles can cause more soreness, so to avoid any post treatment aches, reach for that bottle of H2O.

The effects of your osteopathy treatment continue to work after you leave the clinic, so to get the most out of your treatment session, keep feeding your body with the basic nutrient it needs to survive.

Sadly, juices, caffeinated drinks and alcohol do not count towards your recommended intake of water. In fact, most of these have a dehydrating effect. If the thought of drinking lots of water fills you with dread, here are some tips to get you started:

• Drink a glass of water in several small gulps when you first wake up or with your breakfast.
• Take a bottle to work or have on you for the day and aim to have a few sips every half an hour or hour.
• Try to drink a whole glass of water alongside your lunch.
• Sip again every half hour/hour throughout the afternoon.
• Have a glass of water with your dinner.

There are some handy reusable water bottles available to buy with marks indicating where you should have drunk by what hour in the day. Try setting a timer on your phone to remind yourself to drink. For more information on what to expect during and after an osteopathy treatment, click here.