Tonawanda 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 in an interesting way. Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at night to regulate circadian rhythm – promotes sleep which is essential to the body’s capability to recuperate 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 dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may precede cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such disc cell deterioration which may lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal process that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation shares findings that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and help with Tonawanda back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation understands how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest melatonin may perform a positive role in the slowing of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals, normalizes mitochondria function and balance, speeds up mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Tonawanda BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin preserved nucleus pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an vital neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that acts on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain sufferers who added melatonin to 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 treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is produced by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients cope 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 improved with morning bright light treatment of US veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could certainly help Tonawanda back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And 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 Tonawanda chiropractic appointment for your Tonawanda back pain. Patients in Tonawanda with disc degeneration may find extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they not?
