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 - promotes sleep which
is essential 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 abnormal mitochondria in cells that may precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would prevent such deterioration in the cells of the disc which could lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified.
(1) Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center presents findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Pensacola back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center understands how disc degeneration includes oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest
melatonin may play a beneficial role in the reduction
of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals,
normalizes mitochondria function and balance, speeds
up mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Pensacola BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin sustained nucleus
pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to damage of these cells. Melatonin is an significant
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 reduced
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
potentially has 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 triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients deal
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 Pensacola back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Pensacola Spinal Rehab Center
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 Pensacola chiropractic appointment for
your Pensacola back pain. Patients in Pensacola with disc degeneration may discover
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, aren’t they?