Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all interestingly.
Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at
night to regulate circadian rhythm – 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 prevents
the build-up of abnormal 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 may precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal practice
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified.
(1) Most Chiropractic Clinic shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with
Murfreesboro back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Most Chiropractic Clinic 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 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 Murfreesboro 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 essential
neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that acts
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
possibly offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is activated
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients handle 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 bettered with morning bright light treatment of US
veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could certainly
help Murfreesboro back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Most Chiropractic Clinic
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 Murfreesboro chiropractic appointment for
your Murfreesboro back pain. Patients in Murfreesboro 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?