According to the National Institutes of Health, circadian rhythms include physical, mental, and behavioral changes. They roughly follow a 24-hour cycle, responding largely to environmental light and darkness. Most living things possess this trait including animals, plants, and many microbes.
So how does this relate to low back pain? Recent studies reveal that the intervertebral disk (IVD), the “shock-absorbers” located between the vertebrae in our spine, contains intrinsic circadian clocks. Circadia clocks regulate by age and cytokines and link to degeneration. This means we have a 24-hour rhythm producing various changes throughout the day in each disk in our spine!
Researchers have found at least 600 genes with 24-hour patterns of expression representing several essential pathways associated with disk pathology. In experiments on mice, scientists observe that when the normal expression of these genes is deranging, disk degeneration may occur. The study concludes, “These results support the concept that disruptions to circadian rhythms may be a risk factor for degenerative IVD disease and low back pain.”
Understanding Circadian Rhythms
So what can we do about this? These findings support an important concept that improves overall health, quality of life, and longevity: our sleep habits! We know our circadian rhythms influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, and many other important bodily functions. Our circadian rhythm link to various sleep disorders.
Researchers have linked abnormal rhythms with obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to name a few. We also know how we feel when we fly from California to New York. The alarm rings at 7 am in NYC but our biological clock says 4 am!
The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. Longevity is shortened when sleep duration is altered (either too little OR too much sleep). We know the quality of life is negatively affected by swing-shift workers. Now, we’ve learned that the cells in our disks also have a circadian rhythm, and alteration of that rhythm can lead to disk degeneration resulting in low back pain!
