Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – helps sleep which
is essential to the body’s ability to recover
from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy stimulates healthy
turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy blocks
the build-up of dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal process
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified.
(1) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
West Des Moines back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Executive Chiropractic of Iowa knows how disc degeneration involves oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest
melatonin may perform a beneficial role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
controls 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 West Des Moines 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 impairment 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 added melatonin to 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 signified that melatonin
potentially has 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 helps 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 bettered with morning bright light treatment of US
veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could certainly
help West Des Moines back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
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 West Des Moines chiropractic appointment for
your West Des Moines back pain. Patients in West Des Moines with disc degeneration may find
extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, are they
not?