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 – promotes sleep which
is vital to the body’s ability to recover
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 precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain,
this would avoid such disc
cell deterioration which could lead to disc
degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily process
that controls cell destruction and creation in the
body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented.
(1) Spine & Sports Rehab Center presents research that melatonin
and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote
Baton Rouge back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Spine & Sports Rehab Center understands how disc degeneration includes cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria problems and cell death (aka
apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply
melatonin may play a beneficial 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 Baton Rouge 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 good antioxidant effect that functions
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 indicated that melatonin
possibly offers pain relieving
effect. (4) Melatonin may be another treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is triggered
by light and its lack, light treatment helps patients cope with chronic low back pain, its pain intensity, behavior, and
threshold. It also assists
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 certainly
help Baton Rouge back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think
that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which
is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab Center
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 Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment for
your Baton Rouge back pain. Patients in Baton Rouge 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, aren’t they?