Richmond 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 in an interesting way. Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – promotes sleep which is vital 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 prevents the build-up of abnormal mitochondria in cells that may lead to cell deterioration. In the case of back pain, this would prevent such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily procedure that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Johnson Chiropractic presents findings that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and help with Richmond back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Johnson Chiropractic understands how disc degeneration involves oxidative stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers suggest melatonin may perform a beneficial role in the reduction of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals, adjusts mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may help treat disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Richmond BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin maintained nucleus pulposus cells affected by oxidative stress. Such stress leads to harm of these cells. Melatonin is an essential neuroendocrine hormone with good antioxidant effect that works on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain sufferers who added melatonin to 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 signified that melatonin potentially 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 produced 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 Richmond back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Johnson 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 Richmond chiropractic appointment for your Richmond back pain. Patients in Richmond 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?
