Melatonin. Mitochondria. Mitophagy. Autophagy. Oh my! Back pain links them all in an interesting way.
Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – promotes sleep which
is essential to the body’s capability to recover
from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy stimulates 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 prevent such disc
cell deterioration which may precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal practice
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased.
(1) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre shares findings that melatonin
and light therapy may intervene in this process and help with
Toronto back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows how disc degeneration includes cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply
melatonin may perform a positive role in the slowing
of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals,
controls 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 Toronto BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral
disc degeneration, melatonin sustained nucleus
pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads
to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an important
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 reduced
pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin
possibly offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another treatment of 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 deal
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 improved with morning bright light treatment of US
veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely
help Toronto back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 Toronto chiropractic appointment for
your Toronto back pain. Patients in Toronto with disc degeneration may find
additional relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy,
melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, are they
not?