Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all interestingly.
Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at
night to regulate circadian rhythm – helps sleep which
is essential to the body’s ability to recuperate
from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy stimulates healthy
turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy blocks
the build-up of abnormal mitochondria in cells that may lead
to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain,
this would prevent such disc
cell deterioration which could lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily practice
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented.
(1) Palmer Chiropractic Center presents research that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Lynchburg back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Palmer Chiropractic Center knows how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest
melatonin may play a beneficial role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
adjusts 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 Lynchburg 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 good antioxidant effect that acts
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 decreased
pain intensity when moving and resting signified 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 activated
by light and its lack, light treatment helps patients cope with chronic low back pain, its pain intensity, behavior, and
threshold. It also helps
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 Lynchburg back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Palmer Chiropractic Center
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 Lynchburg chiropractic appointment for
your Lynchburg back pain. Patients in Lynchburg with disc degeneration may discover
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, aren’t they?