McHenry 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 – manages sleep which is essential to the body’s ability to recuperate from the day and prepare 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 may precede disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal process that controls cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased. (1) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic presents research that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote McHenry back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
OrthoIllinois Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration involves oxidative stress on the cell, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest melatonin may perform a beneficial role in the reduction of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals, adjusts mitochondria function and balance, speeds up mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND McHenry BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin sustained nucleus pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an important 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 reduced pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin possibly 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 assists patients handle 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 surely help McHenry back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT OrthoIllinois 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 McHenry chiropractic appointment for your McHenry back pain. Patients in McHenry with disc degeneration may find extra relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, aren’t they?
