Can Drinking Water Help with Chronic Pain?

Staying hydrated and regularly drinking water is vital for maintaining overall health and well-being. Water is essential for numerous bodily functions, including regulating body temperature, aiding digestion, transporting nutrients, and flushing out toxins. Proper hydration supports optimal organ function, promotes healthy skin, and helps prevent issues like kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Additionally, staying hydrated can improve cognitive function, boost energy levels, and enhance athletic performance. When it comes to chronic pain, the benefits of staying hydrated largely boost your body's overall ability to manage and reduce it. 

According to John Hopkins, many causes of chronic pain are not known at the time of writing. The CDC estimated 20.6% of American adults suffer from chronic pain resulting from an injury, arthritis, cancer, an illness, or an unknown origin. It is further estimated that 8% of adults in the United States deal with high-impact chronic pain. 

High-impact chronic pain is defined as a patient feeling the condition for over three months and being restricted from regular activities like chores, physical labor, traveling, and more. According to ScienceDirect, those with high-impact chronic pain typically experience severe pain that produces cognitive impairments and mental anguish. 

For many chronic conditions, maintaining adequate hydration can play a meaningful role in pain management. Water supports multiple physiological processes that influence inflammation, joint function, circulation, and muscle performance — all of which affect how pain is experienced day to day.

Clinical guidance frequently notes that people with inflammatory joint conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, benefit from consistent fluid intake. Adequate hydration helps support normal cartilage function and joint lubrication, which may reduce friction and stiffness during movement. As summarized by Healthline, staying well hydrated can be an important supportive habit for people managing chronic joint pain, even though it does not replace medical treatment.

Broader research also supports a link between hydration and long-term health outcomes. A large observational study published in 2023 in The Lancet found that adults with better hydration status were more likely to have lower rates of certain chronic conditions, including cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. While this type of study does not prove causation, it reinforces the role hydration plays in overall physiological resilience.

From a pain-management perspective, hydration supports the body in several practical ways:

• Reduced inflammation: Adequate fluid balance helps regulate inflammatory processes, which may lessen pain and stiffness associated with chronic conditions.

• Improved joint lubrication: Hydration supports synovial fluid production, helping joints move more smoothly and reducing mechanical irritation.

• Enhanced circulation: Proper hydration supports healthy blood flow, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues and aiding waste removal.

• Better medication effectiveness: Fluids help ensure pain medications are absorbed and distributed properly throughout the body.

• Optimized muscle function: Dehydration can contribute to muscle cramps and spasms, which often worsen chronic pain; hydration helps reduce this risk.

While hydration alone is not a treatment for chronic pain, it is a low-risk, supportive habit that can improve comfort, mobility, and overall symptom control when combined with appropriate medical care.

• Asthma: Drinking water can help alleviate the symptoms of asthma by hydrating the lungs and reducing inflammation in the airways.
• Kidney stones: Drinking plenty of water can help prevent the formation of kidney stones by flushing out the minerals and other substances that can accumulate in the kidneys and form stones.
• Constipation: Drinking water can help soften stools and make them easier to pass, which can alleviate constipation.
• Migraines: Dehydration can trigger migraines, so staying hydrated by drinking water may help prevent or alleviate them.
• Skin conditions: Drinking water can help improve skin hydration and reduce the appearance of dry, flaky skin associated with conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
• Urinary tract infections: Drinking water can help prevent urinary tract infections by flushing out bacteria that cause the infection.

• Keep a water bottle with you at all times: Having a water bottle with you at all times makes it easier to stay hydrated throughout the day. Choose a water bottle that is easy to carry and refill.
• Set reminders to drink water: If you have trouble remembering to drink water, set reminders on your phone or computer to drink water at regular intervals.
• Flavor your water: If you find plain water boring, try flavoring it with lemon, cucumber, or mint. This can make it more enjoyable to drink and encourage you to drink more.
• Eat water-rich foods: Eating water-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables can help you stay hydrated. Some examples of water-rich foods include watermelon, cucumbers, celery, and strawberries.
• Monitor your fluid intake: Keep track of how much fluid you are consuming throughout the day. This can help you make sure you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated.
• Consult your healthcare professional: If you have a chronic condition that affects your fluid balance, such as kidney disease or heart failure, talk to your healthcare professional about how much fluid you should be drinking each day.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine and alcohol can cause dehydration, so it's best to limit your intake of these drinks or avoid them altogether.

Remember, staying hydrated is essential for your health, and it's especially important if you have a chronic condition. By following these tips, you can help ensure you are getting enough fluids to stay healthy and manage your condition.

1. “Good hydration linked to healthy aging | NHLBI, NIH.” NHLBI, 2 January 2023, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2023/good-hydration-linked-healthy-aging.
2. Carteron, Nancy. “Dehydration and Rheumatoid Arthritis: What's the Connection?” Healthline, 9 June 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/dehydration-and-rheumatoid-arthritis#dehydration-and-arthritis.
3. “Chronic Pain.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-pain.
4. Dahlhamer, James M. “Prevalence of Chronic Pain and High-Impact Chronic Pain Among ...” CDC, 14 September 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm.
5. Pitcher, Mark H., et al. “Prevalence and Profile of High-Impact Chronic Pain in the United States.” ScienceDirect, Journal of Pain, 06 07 2018, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526590018303584.
6. Dmitrieva, Natalia I., et al. “The role of water intake in the severity of pain and menstrual distress among females suffering from primary dysmenorrhea: a semi-experimental study.” NCBI, 28 January 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7845092/.