Carrolltown Chiropractic Relief of Back Pain due to Disc Degeneration May Be Boosted by Melatonin and Light Therapy
Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain connects them all interestingly. Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – promotes sleep which is vital to the body’s capability to recuperate from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy promotes healthy turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy blocks the build-up of dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may lead to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would prevent such disc cell deterioration which could lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation shares research that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote Carrolltown back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows how disc degeneration includes oxidative stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers imply melatonin may play a beneficial role in the slowing of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals, controls 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 Carrolltown 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 harm of these cells. Melatonin is an essential 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 signified that melatonin potentially offers an analgesic effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is activated 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 Carrolltown back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
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 Carrolltown chiropractic appointment for your Carrolltown back pain. Patients in Carrolltown 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, are they not?
