San Jose 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 essential to the body’s capability to recuperate from the day and get ready for the next. Mitophagy promotes healthy turnover of mitochondria (the energy producers in cells). Mitophagy blocks the build-up of abnormal mitochondria in cells that may lead to cell degeneration. In the case of back pain, this would prevent such deterioration in the cells of the disc which may precede disc degeneration. Autophagy is a normal procedure that manages cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is increased. (1) Chiropractic Solutions shares research that melatonin and light therapy may intervene in this process and promote San Jose back pain relief.
MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION
Chiropractic Solutions understands how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is the area researchers suggest melatonin may perform 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 San Jose BACK PAIN
In a biological study of melatonin’s effect on intervertebral disc degeneration, melatonin sustained nucleus pulposus cells influenced by oxidative stress. Such stress leads to damage of these cells. Melatonin is an vital neuroendocrine hormone with sound 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 offers an analgesic 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 helps 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 certainly help San Jose back pain sufferers, too! These researchers believe that this light treatment regulates the circadian timing of sleep which is facilitated by melatonin. (5)
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 San Jose chiropractic appointment for your San Jose back pain. Patients in San Jose 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, aren’t they?
