New York City 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 in an interesting way. Melatonin – the sleep regulating hormone – promotes sleep which is essential to the body’s ability to recover from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy stimulates healthy turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy prevents the build-up of abnormal mitochondria in cells that may lead to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would prevent such disc cell deterioration which could lead to disc degeneration. Autophagy is the normal bodily procedure that deals with cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is amplified. (1) Rosenberg Wellness Center presents research that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and help with New York City back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Rosenberg Wellness Center knows how disc degeneration includes oxidative stress on the cell, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is where researchers imply melatonin may perform a positive role in the reduction of disc degeneration. Melatonin rids oxygen free radicals, controls mitochondria function and balance, speeds up mitrophagy and slows apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)
MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND New York City 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 impairment 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 reduced pain intensity when moving and resting indicated that melatonin potentially has an analgesic effect. (4) Melatonin may be another method to treat intervertebral disc degeneration.
LIGHT THERAPY AND BACK PAIN RELIEF
Since melatonin is produced by light and its lack, light treatment assists patients deal 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 surely help New York City back pain sufferers, too! These researchers think that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Rosenberg Wellness 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 New York City chiropractic appointment for your New York City back pain. Patients in New York City with disc degeneration may discover extra relief with melatonin and light therapy alongside chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly connected, are they not?
