Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – helps sleep which
is vital to the body’s capability to recuperate
from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy stimulates healthy
turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy prevents
the build-up of dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may lead
to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain,
this would prevent such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily practice
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified.
(1) Layden Chiropractic shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Plainville back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Layden Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration includes cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply
melatonin may perform a beneficial role in the reduction
of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals,
adjusts mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Plainville BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin preserved nucleus
pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to damage of these cells. Melatonin is an essential
neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that works
on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain
sufferers who included melatonin in their treatment
plan experienced a positive increase on the
effect of standard treatments on pain, sleep and depression. The reduced
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
potentially offers an analgesic
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another method to
treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients deal
with chronic low back pain, its pain intensity, behavior, and
threshold. It also assists
with post-traumatic stress disorders symptomatology and quality of sleep. All
these were bettered with morning bright light treatment of US
veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely
help Plainville back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Layden Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST
with Dr. Chris DeVeau on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael
Johnson. A patient struggling with neck pain and arm pain found
difficulty with sleep and relief with Cox® Technic.
Schedule a Plainville chiropractic appointment for
your Plainville back pain. Patients in Plainville with disc degeneration may find
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, aren’t they?