Elgin 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 links them all in an interesting way. Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at night to regulate circadian rhythm – helps sleep which is essential to the body’s capability to recover 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 deterioration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which could lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily process that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Connected Chiropractic presents findings that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote Elgin back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Connected Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest melatonin may play a beneficial 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 Elgin 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 impairment of these cells. Melatonin is an important neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that functions 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 signified that melatonin possibly has 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 assists 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 bettered with morning bright light treatment of US veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely help Elgin back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Connected Chiropractic
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 Elgin chiropractic appointment for your Elgin back pain. Patients in Elgin with disc degeneration may find additional relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, aren’t they?
