Concord, NC 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 – the sleep regulating hormone – 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 lead to cell deterioration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such disc cell deterioration which may precede disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily process that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented. (1) Pure Chiropractic shares findings that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with Concord, NC back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Pure Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration includes oxidative stress on the cell, 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 gets rid of oxygen free radicals, controls mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Concord, NC BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin maintained 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 works 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 decreased pain intensity when moving and resting signified that melatonin potentially offers 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 assists 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 bettered with morning bright light treatment of US veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could certainly help Concord, NC back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Pure 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 Concord, NC chiropractic appointment for your Concord, NC back pain. Patients in Concord, NC with disc degeneration may find additional relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, aren’t they?
