Manahawkin 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 – manages sleep which is essential to the body’s ability 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 dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may precede cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such disc cell deterioration which may precede disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily practice that deals with cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased. (1) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center shares research that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and promote Manahawkin back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center knows how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest melatonin may play a beneficial role in the slowing of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals, controls 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 Manahawkin 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 impairment of these cells. Melatonin is an significant neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that functions on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain sufferers who included melatonin in 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 an analgesic effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
In so much as melatonin is triggered by light and its lack, light treatment helps 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 Manahawkin back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic 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 Manahawkin chiropractic appointment for your Manahawkin back pain. Patients in Manahawkin with disc degeneration may find additional relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, are they not?
