Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – manages sleep which
is essential to the body’s ability to recuperate
from the day and prepare 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 precede cell degeneration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily procedure
that manages cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Johnson Chiropractic shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with
Richmond back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Johnson Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration involves oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers imply
melatonin may perform a positive role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
normalizes 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 Richmond BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin sustained nucleus
pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an significant
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 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 has an analgesic
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another method to
treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients handle 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 surely
help Richmond back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Johnson 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 Richmond chiropractic appointment for
your Richmond back pain. Patients in Richmond with disc degeneration may find
additional relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they
not?