Call us to set up an appointment! Herndon (703) 561-0600 Ashburn (703) 723-4040

Ashburn 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 a hormone secreted by the brain at night to regulate circadian rhythm – helps sleep which is essential 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 lead to 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 the normal bodily process that controls cell destruction and creation in the body. When there is cellular stress, autophagy is augmented. (1) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn presents findings that melatonin and light therapy may intercede in this process and promote Ashburn back pain relief.

MITOCHONDRIA AND DISC DEGENERATION

Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn understands how disc degeneration involves cellular oxidative stress, mitochondria issues and cell death (aka apoptosis). This is the area researchers imply melatonin may perform a positive role in the reduction of disc degeneration. Melatonin gets rid of oxygen free radicals, controls mitochondria function and balance, hastens mitrophagy and reduces apoptosis (cell death). Melatonin may assist in the treatment of disc degeneration. (2)

MELATONIN AND LIGHT FOR DISC DEGENERATION AND Ashburn 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 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 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 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 activated 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 bettered with morning bright light treatment of US veterans with chronic low back pain. (5) Such treatment could surely help Ashburn back pain sufferers, too! These researchers suspect that this light treatment helps the circadian timing of sleep which is mediated by melatonin. (5)

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

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 Ashburn chiropractic appointment for your Ashburn back pain. Patients in Ashburn with disc degeneration may discover extra relief with melatonin and light therapy together with chiropractic treatment. Mitochondria, mitophagy, autophagy, melatonin and back pain are interestingly linked, aren’t they?

 
Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn offers chiropractic care of disc degeneration and shares new information about how melatonin and light therapy may be beneficial. 
« View All Nutrition Articles
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."