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 – manages sleep which
is vital to the body’s capability 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 precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would prevent such disc
cell deterioration which could lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily procedure
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Novelli Wellness Center presents findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intervene in this process and promote
Orchard Park, NY back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Novelli Wellness Center understands how disc degeneration includes oxidative
stress on the cell, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply
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 reduces apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Orchard Park, NY BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin preserved nucleus
pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to damage of these cells. Melatonin is an vital
neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that functions
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 indicated that melatonin
possibly offers an analgesic
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another method to
treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is produced
by light and its lack, light treatment helps 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 Orchard Park, NY back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Novelli Wellness 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 Orchard Park, NY chiropractic appointment for
your Orchard Park, NY back pain. Patients in Orchard Park, NY with disc degeneration may discover
additional relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they
not?