What You Eat Is Your Foundation: Nutrition Tips for Aging Patients
If you've been coming to our chiropractic office for back pain or neck pain treatment, you already know that chiropractic care is rooted in the idea that your body functions as one connected system — and what supports that system goes beyond adjustments alone. One piece of the puzzle that often gets overlooked, especially as we get older, is nutrition. What you eat has a profound effect on how your spine, muscles, bones, joints, and nerves function every single day and help you get around Montreal.
AGING AND NUTRITION
As we age, our bodies morph in ways that make getting the right nutrients both more important and more difficult. Research published highlights that older adults face distinctive physiological challenges when it comes to micronutrient absorption and utilization. Reduced stomach acid production, changes in gut motility, and decreased kidney function can all impair how effectively the body processes vitamins and minerals — even when dietary intake seems good. (1)
NUTRITION AND BACK PAIN
This matters greatly for back pain. Vitamin D and calcium are critical for bone density, and deficiencies are directly associated with increased fracture risk and osteoporosis-related spinal compression. Without adequate magnesium, muscles struggle to fully relax and nerves become more reactive, creating the kind of chronic tension and cramping that makes back pain more difficult to resolve. B vitamins support nerve health, and antioxidants like vitamins C and E help combat the chronic inflammation that drives many musculoskeletal conditions.
Importantly, the midlife years are a great time to take action — not after symptoms worsen. A study by Yu and colleagues (2) found that educational interventions aimed at midlife women significantly improved both knowledge and self-efficacy around healthy ageing, including the safe-guarding of what researchers call "intrinsic capacity" — the physical and mental reserves that keep us functional and independent as we grow older. Nutrition is a foundation of that capacity.
The encouraging part is that none of this is fixed — simple, consistent shifts in what you eat, like incorporating more leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and colorful vegetables, can directly amplify the progress we make together in the treatment room. We at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic encourage every patient to think of nutrition as an extension of their chiropractic care. Your spine is only as strong as the body supporting it.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he discusses a common spinal condition, disc degeneration, that accompanies aging and how The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management helps.
