Largo 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 vital to the body’s ability to recover 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 dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may precede cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may precede disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily process that controls cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented. (1) Hollstrom & Associates Inc presents findings that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and help with Largo back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Hollstrom & Associates Inc knows how disc degeneration includes oxidative stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is the area researchers suggest melatonin may play a positive role in the slowing of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals, controls mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Largo BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin maintained nucleus pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads to damage of these cells. Melatonin is an important neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that works 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 reduced pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin potentially offers 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 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 Largo back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc
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 Largo chiropractic appointment for your Largo back pain. Patients in Largo 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, aren’t they?
