Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all interestingly.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – manages sleep which
is vital to the body’s capability to recover
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 dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may precede cell degeneration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such disc
cell deterioration which may precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal practice
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented.
(1) Minster Chiropractic Center shares research that melatonin
and light therapy may intervene in this process and help with
Minster back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Minster Chiropractic Center knows how disc degeneration involves oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers suggest
melatonin may perform 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 Minster 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 damage of these cells. Melatonin is an important
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 reduced
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
possibly offers an analgesic
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment helps 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 certainly
help Minster back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Minster 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 Minster chiropractic appointment for
your Minster back pain. Patients in Minster 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 linked, aren’t they?