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 vital to the body’s ability 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 dysfunctional mitochondria in cells that may lead
to cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which could precede disc
degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure
that deals with cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented.
(1) Vancouver Spine Care Centre shares research that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with
Vancouver back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Vancouver Spine Care Centre 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,
normalizes mitochondria function and balance, speeds
up mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death).
Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Vancouver 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 damage 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
potentially offers an analgesic
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another method to
treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since 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 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 surely
help Vancouver back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which
is mediated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Vancouver Spine Care 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 Vancouver chiropractic appointment for
your Vancouver back pain. Patients in Vancouver 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, aren’t they?