Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all interestingly.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – manages sleep which
is vital to the body’s ability to recuperate
from the day and prepare for the next. Mitophagy promotes 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 could lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily procedure
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center presents research that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with
Manahawkin back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center knows how disc degeneration includes oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest
melatonin may play a beneficial role in the reduction
of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals,
adjusts mitochondria function and balance, speeds
up mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Manahawkin BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin maintained nucleus
pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an significant
neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that functions
on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain
sufferers who included melatonin in their treatment
plan found it to positively increase the
effect of standard treatments on pain, sleep and depression. The decreased
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
potentially offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients cope 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 improved with morning bright light treatment of US
veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely
help Manahawkin back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Manahawkin 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 Manahawkin chiropractic appointment for
your Manahawkin back pain. Patients in Manahawkin with disc degeneration may discover
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, aren’t they?