Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – manages sleep which
is vital to the body’s capability to recover
from the day and prepare for the next. Mitophagy stimulates healthy
turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy prevents
the build-up of abnormal mitochondria in cells that may precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would prevent such disc
cell deterioration which may lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation presents findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Carrolltown back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows how disc degeneration includes oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest
melatonin may perform a positive role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
normalizes mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Carrolltown BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin preserved nucleus
pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an vital
neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that acts
on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain
sufferers who added melatonin to their treatment
plan found it to positively increase the
effect of standard treatments on pain, sleep and depression. The reduced
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
possibly offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is activated
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 certainly
help Carrolltown back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
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 Carrolltown chiropractic appointment for
your Carrolltown back pain. Patients in Carrolltown with disc degeneration may find
additional relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they
not?