Oxford 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 interestingly. Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – helps 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 precede cell deterioration. In the case of back pain, this would avoid such deterioration in the cells of the disc which could lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure that controls cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Satterwhite Chiropractic shares research that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote Oxford back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Satterwhite Chiropractic knows how disc degeneration involves oxidative stress on the cell, 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, speeds up mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Oxford 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 significant neuroendocrine hormone with sound antioxidant effect that functions on biological clock regulation. (3) Chronic non-specific low back pain sufferers who added melatonin to 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 signified that melatonin possibly offers pain relieving effect. (4) Melatonin may be another way to treat 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 handle 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 Oxford back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Satterwhite 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 Oxford chiropractic appointment for your Oxford back pain. Patients in Oxford 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 connected, are they not?
