Groton 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 interestingly. Melatonin – a hormone secreted by the brain at night to regulate circadian rhythm – helps sleep which is vital to the body’s capability 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 lead to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would prevent such deterioration in the cells of the disc which could lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure that deals with cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased. (1) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office presents research that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and promote Groton back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office knows how disc degeneration includes cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers imply melatonin may perform a positive role in the reduction of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals, normalizes mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Groton 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 significant neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that acts on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain sufferers who included melatonin in their treatment plan experienced a positive increase on the effect of standard treatments on pain, sleep and depression. The decreased pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin possibly has pain relieving effect. (4) Melatonin may be another treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is produced 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 improved with morning bright light treatment of US veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely help Groton back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
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 Groton chiropractic appointment for your Groton back pain. Patients in Groton with disc degeneration may discover additional relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, are they not?
