Melatonin is known as the “sleep hormone” due to its role in promoting better sleep. It is a natural hormone produced by the brain’s pineal gland. During the day the pineal gland remains inactive, but at night it produces melatonin to prepare our bodies for sleep. Due to its popularity as a sleep aid, many people don’t know that melatonin also has the potential to alleviate chronic pain and inflammation.
Melatonin is produced naturally by the brain at night. Darkness causes the body to produce more melatonin, which helps the body sleep better. People who have troubles falling asleep suffer from low melatonin levels. These people usually turn to melatonin first due to easy accessibility and natural properties.
As a supplement, melatonin is promoted for its effectiveness as a sleep aid. However, its role in reducing inflammation is also significant since most chronic pain conditions are caused by underlying inflammation.
In 2016, a study found that melatonin was clinically effective in controlling pain in patients undergoing surgery in different pathological conditions. A previous study confirmed this, asserting melatonin reduces chronic and acute inflammation by regulating activation of the immune system.
In a recent article, researchers went as far as calling melatonin the “master regulator” of inflammation.
Melatonin and its effect on chronic pain has been studied by numerous organizations and research groups in the past, and continues to be studied extensively in the world today. Below are some of the notable studies on melatonin.
Although scientific evidence for melatonin is only slowly emerging, the supplement is so widely-available, inexpensive and safe that it should be considered as an aid to your battle against chronic pain.
As previous research has shown, melatonin successfully treated many cases of fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and other diseases associated with high oxidative stress levels.
If it works for you, then great! If it doesn’t, then you can try other forms of natural supplements to help you in your journey of living pain-free.
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