Why I Talk About Nutrition (Even Though I Don't Sell Supplements)
I want to be clear right up front: I don't sell nutritional supplements, meal plans, or charge for diet counseling. That's not what I do. But I do talk to my patients about nutrition and lifestyle habits, because after nearly two decades of treating everyone from Olympic athletes to office workers here in Ann Arbor, I've seen firsthand how much your daily choices affect your recovery.
You can get the best adjustments in the world, but if you're dehydrated, not sleeping, eating inflammatory foods, and sitting for 12 hours a day, your body won't heal the way it should. Chiropractic care addresses the mechanical problems in your spine and joints — nutrition and lifestyle give your body the raw materials and environment it needs to actually use those corrections.
Think of it this way: I'm fixing the alignment of your car, but you still need to put good fuel in the tank and drive it properly. This page is my way of helping you understand what that "good fuel" looks like.
Hydration: The Most Overlooked Factor in Spinal Health
This is the simplest advice I give, and the one most people ignore: drink more water.
Your spinal discs — the shock absorbers between your vertebrae — are about 80% water when you're young. As you age, they naturally lose some of that hydration, which is why older adults tend to lose height and develop more disc issues. But dehydration accelerates this process at any age.
When your discs are dehydrated, they become thinner, less flexible, and more prone to injury. They don't absorb shock as well, which means more stress on your joints and ligaments. I see this constantly in my Ann Arbor patients, especially students and office workers who survive on coffee and forget to drink water until they're already thirsty (which means you're already dehydrated).
What I recommend: Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 160 pounds, that's 80 ounces (about 10 cups). If you're active, add more. If you're dealing with a disc injury, headaches, or chronic stiffness, hydration becomes even more critical.
I've had patients whose headaches improved significantly just by drinking more water and cutting back on caffeine. It sounds too simple to work, but it does.
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition: Helping Your Body Heal Faster
When you're dealing with an injury, inflammation is your body's natural response. Some inflammation is good — it's part of the healing process. But chronic inflammation keeps you stuck in pain and slows recovery.
Certain foods promote inflammation in your body, while others help reduce it. If you're coming to me for back pain, neck pain, or a sports injury, what you eat can either speed up your healing or sabotage it.
Foods that tend to increase inflammation:
- Refined sugars (soda, candy, baked goods)
- Processed foods and fast food
- Excessive alcohol
- Trans fats (fried foods, margarine)
- Refined grains (white bread, white rice, most cereals)
Foods that help reduce inflammation:
- Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines — rich in omega-3s)
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula)
- Berries (blueberries, strawberries, cherries)
- Nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds)
- Olive oil
- Turmeric and ginger
- Green tea
I'm not saying you need to eat perfectly. I'm saying that if you're in my office twice a week trying to heal a lower back injury, and then you're hitting the drive-through for lunch and eating processed snacks all afternoon, we're fighting an uphill battle.
When I was working with Sam Mikulak and other Olympic gymnasts, nutrition was a huge part of their recovery between training sessions. They couldn't afford inflammation slowing them down. The same principle applies whether you're training for the Olympics or just trying to get through your workday without back pain.
Protein: The Building Block Your Body Needs to Repair Itself
When I adjust your spine or treat a muscle strain, I'm creating an opportunity for your body to heal. But your body needs protein to actually rebuild damaged tissue.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even the cartilage in your joints are made primarily of protein. If you're not eating enough, your recovery slows down. I see this especially in older adults, busy parents who skip meals, and people trying to lose weight on very low-calorie diets.
How much do you need? A general guideline is about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight if you're recovering from an injury or actively training. For a 150-pound person, that's 120-150 grams of protein per day.
Good sources of protein:
- Chicken, turkey, lean beef, fish
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
- Beans, lentils, chickpeas
- Tofu, tempeh
- Protein shakes (if you struggle to eat enough whole food)
Again, I don't sell protein powder or meal plans. I'm just telling you what I've seen work in my practice over the years.
Movement: You Can't Adjust Your Way Out of a Sedentary Lifestyle
Here's the hard truth: if you sit at a desk in downtown Ann Arbor for 8-10 hours a day, then sit in your car, then sit on your couch at night, no amount of chiropractic care will permanently fix your posture or pain.
The human body is designed to move. When you don't move regularly, your muscles weaken, your joints stiffen, and your posture deteriorates. I can adjust your spine to restore proper alignment, but if you go right back to sitting in a slouched position for hours, those same restrictions will return.
What I recommend to my Ann Arbor patients:
- Stand up and walk every 30-60 minutes during your workday
- Take the stairs when possible (especially if you work in one of the taller buildings downtown)
- Go for a 20-30 minute walk most days — around Burns Park, along the Huron River, or just around your neighborhood in Ypsilanti
- Stretch daily, especially your hip flexors, hamstrings, and chest muscles (which get tight from sitting)
I'm not saying you need to train like an Olympic athlete. I'm saying you need to move your body regularly. Even 10 minutes of walking after lunch makes a difference.
For my NCAA athletes and high school sports patients, I give them specific corrective exercises to address their biomechanical issues. For my desk workers and retirees, I keep it simple: walk more, sit less, and do basic stretches.
Sleep: When Your Body Actually Heals
You don't heal during your adjustment. You don't heal during your workout. You heal when you sleep.
When you're asleep, your body goes into repair mode — rebuilding damaged tissue, clearing out inflammation, and restoring energy. If you're only getting 5-6 hours of poor-quality sleep, you're not giving your body enough time to do this work.
I see this constantly in my practice: patients who are doing everything right during the day (drinking water, exercising, eating well) but still aren't improving because they're only sleeping 5 hours a night. Or they're sleeping 8 hours but waking up every 2 hours because of pain or stress.
What affects sleep quality:
- Your mattress and pillow — If you're waking up with neck pain or back pain every morning, your sleep setup needs to change. I can recommend specific pillow types based on your sleeping position.
- Screen time before bed — The blue light from your phone or computer suppresses melatonin and makes it harder to fall asleep. Put devices away 30-60 minutes before bed.
- Caffeine and alcohol — Caffeine too late in the day keeps you wired. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it disrupts your deep sleep cycles.
- Stress and racing thoughts — This is tough, but learning to wind down before bed (through reading, meditation, or deep breathing) makes a real difference.
If you're dealing with chronic pain that's disrupting your sleep, we need to address that in your treatment plan. Pain and poor sleep create a vicious cycle — pain prevents sleep, and poor sleep makes pain worse.
Stress: The Silent Saboteur of Your Recovery
Stress doesn't just live in your head — it lives in your neck, shoulders, and lower back. When you're stressed, your muscles tense up, your breathing becomes shallow, and your body releases cortisol (a stress hormone that increases inflammation).
I've treated plenty of patients whose back pain flares up during stressful periods at work or home, then calms down when things settle. The mechanical problem in their spine is still there, but stress amplifies it.
What helps manage stress:
- Deep breathing exercises — Just 5 minutes of slow, deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your "rest and digest" mode) and reduces muscle tension
- Regular exercise — Walking, yoga, swimming, or anything that gets you moving helps burn off stress hormones
- Setting boundaries — Sometimes stress comes from overcommitting or not saying no when you should
- Talking to someone — Whether it's a therapist, a friend, or a family member, keeping stress bottled up makes it worse
I'm not a therapist or a stress management coach, but I can tell you from experience: the patients who actively work on stress management tend to recover faster and stay pain-free longer.
Ergonomics: How You Sit, Stand, and Move Matters
If you're coming to me for lower back pain or neck pain, I'm going to ask about your workspace setup. I can adjust your spine, but if you're sitting in a broken office chair with your laptop on your lap for 8 hours a day, we're not going to make lasting progress.
Basic ergonomic principles:
- Your computer screen should be at eye level — not below, forcing you to look down all day
- Your feet should be flat on the floor (or on a footrest) with your knees at 90 degrees
- Your lower back should have support — either from your chair or a small lumbar pillow
- Your keyboard and mouse should be close enough that you're not reaching forward and rounding your shoulders
For my Ann Arbor patients who work from home, I've seen some truly terrible setups: people working from their couch, hunched over a laptop on their coffee table for months. That's a recipe for chronic neck and upper back pain.
You don't need an expensive standing desk or fancy ergonomic chair. You just need to make sure your body is in a neutral position while you work. Small adjustments make a huge difference.
The Bottom Line: Your Recovery Is a Partnership
I can give you the best adjustments, the most precise biomechanical corrections, and the right corrective exercises. But if you're not drinking enough water, sleeping poorly, eating inflammatory foods, and sitting all day, your body won't respond the way it should.
Your recovery is a partnership between what I do in the office and what you do at home. I treat everyone from Olympic medalists to busy parents in Ypsilanti to desk workers in downtown Ann Arbor, and the ones who recover fastest are the ones who take ownership of their lifestyle habits.
You don't have to be perfect. You just have to be consistent with the basics: hydrate, move, eat real food, sleep well, and manage stress. Do those things, and your body will respond to chiropractic care much more effectively.
Schedule Your Appointment in Ann Arbor
If you're dealing with chronic pain, a sports injury, or just want to move and feel better, I'm here to help. Call (734) 929-4523 or schedule online.
Performance Health Chiropractic 2330 E Stadium Blvd #3 Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Friday – Sunday: Closed
We accept most insurance plans and welcome new patients from Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and throughout Washtenaw County.
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Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult with your physician before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
About Dr. Timothy Dehr
Dr. Timothy Dehr is Ann Arbor's only Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP). Former U-M varsity gymnast and Big Ten Champion, he serves as chiropractor to 3-time Olympian Sam Mikulak and 50+ NFL players. While nutrition and supplementation fall outside his primary scope of practice, Dr. Dehr provides general wellness guidance to support chiropractic care and refers patients to registered dietitians for comprehensive nutritional planning. Learn more about Dr. Dehr →
