Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at
night to regulate circadian rhythm – promotes sleep which
is essential 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 abnormal mitochondria in cells that may lead
to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal process
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Amelia Chiropractic Clinic presents findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intervene in this process and promote
Fernandina Beach back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Amelia Chiropractic Clinic knows how disc degeneration involves oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers imply
melatonin may perform a beneficial role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
normalizes mitochondria function and balance, speeds
up mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Fernandina Beach BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin maintained nucleus
pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to impairment of these cells. Melatonin is an vital
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 decreased
pain intensity when moving and resting signified that melatonin
possibly offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is activated
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients handle 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 Fernandina Beach back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Amelia Chiropractic Clinic
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 Fernandina Beach chiropractic appointment for
your Fernandina Beach back pain. Patients in Fernandina Beach with disc degeneration may discover
additional relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they
not?