Looking for helpful health advice?

We’ve all heard it…’you should drink more water’! But how much is enough and is it really worth all those extra trips to the bathroom? The general consensus over the years is to drink 8 glasses of water a day. This idea came from a 1945 recommendation by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board where it was suggested that 2.5L of water be consumed per person per day for adequate hydration. But is this true? The fun part about water consumption is that it is not just what we drink, it is in our food too! Water-rich foods such as watermelon, vegetables, and eggs can have a water content of up to 91%. Another fun little fact, research shows that drinking coffee does not cause dehydration. However coffee and tea should be consumed in moderation. Sports drinks are also great for replenishing fluids, but it is important to be mindful of sugar content.

Common signs of dehydration are:

• Feeling Thirsty


• Dry mouth, lips, eyes, or skin


• Flushed face/skin


• Headaches or confusion


• Low blood pressure and high heart rate


• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded


• Fatigue


• Loss of appetite, but may be craving sugar


• Dark yellow or strong smelling urine


• Urinating 4 or less times per day

All in all, the general rule of thumb is if you feel thirsty, drink water! Please be mindful that if you live in a particularly dry climate, like Arizona, you do need to consume more water to prevent dehydration. Working out will cause you to lose water and should be replenished with drinking water or other fluid-replacing drinks. Additionally, the elderly should try to drink more water than just when they feel thirst as we tend to lose this urge as we age. Other people who should consume more water throughout the day are those with medical conditions such as kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTI’s) or vomiting/diarrhea. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also increase their fluid intake to maintain hydration.

Posture is a huge topic in the world of physical therapy. A big reason why…so many people have poor posture! But what does poor posture really entail? How do we get it? Can we do anything to correct it? What problems can it cause later on down the line?

Poor posture comes from bad habits and inactivity. Today, we are consumed by screen time, whether that is our computer, phone, or even T.V. Sitting down in a manner that our body is in a slouched position and with our head forward can cause damage to our spine and nervous system. This can lead to numbing of the feet and hands, thoracic kyphosis, Dowager’s hump, and more! The good news is physical therapy can help!

Try these tips and tricks to help correct bad posture: Try a standing desk to relieve sacral sitting. If you can’t stand for a long duration, try standing every hour for about 5 minutes. When seated, make sure you are sitting erect on your sit bones and not your low back/sacrum. Chin tucks (bring your chin into your neck like a chest of drawers) to strengthen neck muscles Bring your shoulders back and downward for a more neutral thoracic spine position Tighten core muscles—don’t forget to breathe Elevate your computer screen to eye level so you are not constantly looking downwards Adjust your seat height so your feet are flat on the ground and your knees are at or just below the height of your hips

It has been long known that alcohol and sports have gone hand-in-hand. From football to baseball and everything in-between, alcohol has become a large part of the sports culture. But how does alcohol affect your system and is it okay to drink following surgical recovery or an injury? Alcohol is a vasodilator, meaning it opens up your arteries wider and allows your blood to flow quicker. If you had surgery, swelling is likely to occur but if you add alcohol on top of that, additional swelling will occur, possibly causing additional damages to the surgical site. It also weakens your immune system, increasing your likelihood of getting an infection…yikes!

Alcohol also can have negative effects when it is combined with medication. Post-surgically, you are likely going to be given medications to help with pain, nausea, infection prevention, and/or inflammation. Taking alcohol with medication can be dangerous and is never advised. It is recommended to reduce or stop drinking alcohol altogether before you have surgery as this can allow your body to get back to baseline. This in turn, can help with decreased recovery time and complications.

When can I start drinking alcohol again? That is a good question with many different answers. The typical consensus is 2 weeks post surgically. However, if you have a very in depth surgery and have complications or several other co-morbidities, this may not be enough time without alcohol to recover properly. Please consult with your doctor and/or surgeon for further individualized instruction.

Without surgery or injury, there is still a limit on what is considered a healthy alcohol consumption amount. Typically, for women, this is one drink/day and two drinks/day for men. A drink is considered 12 oz. of beer or seltzer water (5% alcohol), 5 oz. of wine (12% alcohol), or 1.5 oz. of distilled spirits (40% alcohol). Please take this into consideration and if you are consuming alcohol, to drink responsibly.