Q: Why am I told to drink water after a massage?

A: This is a very common suggestion following a massage treatment. Unfortunately, the reason for doing this is not what you have likely heard. It is NOT to flush out toxins in your body.

In an editorial written by Tracy Walton, LMT, MS, in Massage Today, she states “To my knowledge, there is no solid base of research to support the notion that massage moves toxins out of the tissues. By solid, I mean more than a single study. Instead, to be given serious consideration, we need multiple studies, from multiple investigators, in peer-reviewed publications, reporting similar results on this point,”

In general, staying hydrated is suggested for optimal wellness. A general rule of thumb is to drink 50% of your body weight daily in ounces of water. If you workout regularly, you should drink about 60% of your body weight in ounces of water. I would suggest increasing your current intake no more than 8 ounces every few days. This will allow your body to properly absorb what it needs and save you a lot of trips to the bathroom. Bottom line, if your pee is clear, your body is sufficiently hydrated. There I go talking about pee again.

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Ask Drew!

Each month we will be selecting a question from one of our patients to explore in the following month’s newsletter. We know you have many questions about wellness related topics such as understanding injuries, managing stress, etc…and we want to offer you a platform to ask Drew a question directly that would also benefit other patients.

We look forward to receiving your questions!

(Comments and suggestions from Drew do not constitute a diagnosis. ‘Ask Drew’ is intended for informational purposes only.)