Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at
night to regulate circadian rhythm – manages sleep which
is vital to the body’s capability to recover
from the day and prepare for the next. Mitophagy promotes healthy
turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy blocks
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 could precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal process
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented.
(1) Apple Country Chiropractic shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Williamson back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Apple Country Chiropractic knows how disc degeneration includes cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply
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 slows apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Williamson 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 essential
neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that acts
on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain
sufferers who added melatonin to 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 indicated that melatonin
possibly has 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 assists patients deal
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 Williamson back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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 Williamson chiropractic appointment for
your Williamson back pain. Patients in Williamson with disc degeneration may discover
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, aren’t they?