Recent study on Melatonin and Scoliosis

[leahdragonfly]

Dingo,

You know I am glad to hear your son's back is stable. Do I think it's because you took away his night light??--no, probably not.

I think you are making A LOT of conjectures and assumptions that totally lack basis.

Any ortho will tell you that a measurement of 12 degrees vs 11 degrees is the same measurement (our ortho told us 30 was the same as 26--we were originally told both numbers by different docs). With measurement error, one could argue that your son doesn't even have scoliosis yet (who's to say it's not actually 9 degrees?).

I just wonder what you did with all your free time before this issue surfaced in your family. You seem to have quite a lot of it.

[Dingo]

Leahdragonfly

I think you are making A LOT of conjectures and assumptions that totally lack basis.

A group of Japanese researchers believe that low levels of Melatonin are associated with curve progression. Last week I talked with a spine surgeon who suspects the same thing.

I did what I could to maximize my son's natural production of Melatonin. This triggered an immediate improvement in how well he slept. Half a year later his curve appears to be stable. I'll never know if the two are connected but it is consistent with the Japanese finding. If you go back and read my post I listed two other possibilities.

I just wonder what you did with all your free time before this issue surfaced in your family. You seem to have quite a lot of it.

Thanks for the compliment, I use almost all of my free time for Scoliosis. I post what I find in the hope that it can help other parents.

[emarismom]

Stable is always good, Stable at 11 or 12 degrees is EXCELLENT!! I'm very happy for your news whatever the reasons!

[Dingo]

Sept 8, 2004 - Night light linked to rise in child leukemia

Feb 22, 2008 - Light at Night connected to health problems

Feg 21, 2008 - Study: Night light raises cancer risk

Oct 7, 2008 - Light Pollution and cancer

Feb 4, 2009 - Artificial Light At Night: Higher Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Study Suggests

Could light at night really cause or contribute to many different health problems? Of course it could. For a couple hundred thousand years humans slept in total darkness. We probably evolved biological systems that depended on darkness at night. This was not a problem until the last 50 to 100 years.

Here is an easy to read article that explains what to do about it.

Why You Should Say NO to Nightlights (& Other Top Recommendations to Sleep Well)

Is "blacking out" my son's room helping to slow down his Scoliosis? I'll never know for sure. But it's certainly an inexpensive and healthy thing for all children and adults.

[Dingo]

emarismom

Thanks! Hey from the looks of your signature your daughters curve is going in the right direction. 28 to 18 degrees over a 4 year period is awesome!

We started my son on daily physical therapy about 2 weeks ago. It takes about 10 minutes and it's not all at once. That's about all he can do at age 5.

His therapy is partly based on this study whose findings were later confirmed in 2 other studies.

I hope it works, but even if it does I'll never know for sure because 1 kid isn't a large enough sample. I'll report back in 6 months one way or the other.

[Pooka1]

Dingo, do you just reject the findings that most published research results are false?

Why?

[Dingo]

Pooka1

I'm not particularly interested in that line of thinking. I read a lot and I use my best judgement to determine what might work and what might not.

[emarismom]

I did eliminate most of the light sources in her room when this thread was started. There is still a little that comes from outside, but if I put tin foil or something else up to block out everything, I think she will get too scared.

I consider her curve to be stable as even before we got the brace, she ranged from 18-24 degrees for two years post decompression. In brace x rays have ranged from 12-24 over the last two years.

I'm going to have an out of brace done in June. If she is under 20, then I may consider bracing only at night, or when she is home in the air conditioning. Summer camp here in Miami with a brace is tough.

These ideas are my own, not sure what the docs will tell me. Emily will be terrified to lose the brace. So we will see.

[Dingo]

Emarismom

I did eliminate most of the light sources in her room when this thread was started. There is still a little that comes from outside, but if I put tin foil or something else up to block out everything, I think she will get too scared.

Before I knew that light at night was generally bad for health we used to have nightlights and LCDs everywhere. We also had street lights pouring in through our blinds. Looking back I have no idea how we fell asleep.

Today Scott has two sets of blackout curtains in his window, no nightlights and no nightlights upstairs. His room is a cave at night. I can only assume that we are reaching his natural potential for Melatonin production. We mounted a taplight next to his nightstand in case he needs to get out of bed at night.

Summer camp here in Miami with a brace is tough.

I live in Arizona so it's the same story here. Every summer temperatures go past 110 degrees. I think day bracing might be unsafe in the summer.

[mamamax]

Originally Posted by concerned dad

Originally Posted by concerned dad
As an important aside (and maybe the only worthwhile thing in this post), Gould wrote an inspirational paper after his initial diagnosis with cancer in the early 80’s., "The Median is not the Message," . I would recommend it to anyone who has received, or has a loved one who received, a diagnosis of a disease with a bad prognosis.

Dingo - thank you for opening this thread - your information, very valuable. I've blacked out my bedroom and added fish oil to daily supplements - something that incidentally was prescribed for me by our family doctor when i was in grade school. It can't hurt and certainly there is information enough from your postings, and reference, to give it a try. I'm so happy for you that you son is doing well.

CD - your comments here as always, stellar. Thank you for the above web link to Stephen Gould's story - 30 year survival post diagnosis that would have had him dead in 8 months. I think it should be required reading for anyone diagnosed with any disease (including scoliosis). Thank you also for sharing a bit more about your educational background .. makes perfect sense in light of the things you say and the manner in which you state them.

[Bigbluefrog]

Originally Posted by mamamax

Dingo - thank you for opening this thread - your information, very valuable. I've blacked out my bedroom and added fish oil to daily supplements - something that incidentally was prescribed for me by our family doctor when i was in grade school. It can't hurt and certainly there is information enough from your postings, and reference, to give it a try. I'm so happy for you that you son is doing well.

I second that! Thanks Dingo for doing the research and sharing the links...its very probable.

My dd was diagnosed with diabetes last year and there is a theory about not enough vitamin D. So its just the right combination of sunlight and absorbing vitamin D.....and in this case just the right amount of darkness at night to get the ZZZ and increase melatonin production. If we only understood what all those hormones do and how important good nutrition is....you know it really can't hurt....we darkened my dd room and started her on omegas and vit D.

[Dingo]

Bigbluefrog

Thanks for the kind words. The connection between Scoliosis and Melatonin is not firmly cemented. Some studies find a connection others don't. However this stood out from the recent Scoliosis blood test patent.

The C57BI6/6J mouse strain was used because it is naturally deficient in melatonin, exhibits high circulating OPN levels and develops scoliosis when they are maintained in a bipedal state. It is a well known scoliosis animal model.

Melatonin deficiency is one part of the equation that produces mice that get Scoliosis. That's evidence that on some level it probably matters for humans too.

But aside from Scoliosis Melatonin is a natural anti-inflammatory which is probably part of the reason why kids need it for good health.

[Dingo]

Bigbluefrog

My dd was diagnosed with diabetes last year and there is a theory about not enough vitamin D.

Although it's not been absolutely proven Type I Diabetes is believed to be caused by exposure to Enterovirus in genetically susceptible people. Enterovirus is transmitted by the fecal/oral route and can survive in chlorinated pool water.

Occurrence of enteroviruses in community swimming pools.

Side Note:
Olympic swimmer Gary Hall came down with Type 1 Diabetes in his mid 20s.

[Bigbluefrog]

Originally Posted by Dingo

Bigbluefrog

Although it's not been absolutely proven Type I Diabetes is believed to be caused by exposure to Enterovirus in genetically susceptible people. Enterovirus is transmitted by the fecal/oral route and can survive in chlorinated pool water.

Occurrence of enteroviruses in community swimming pools.

Side Note:
Olympic swimmer Gary Hall came down with Type 1 Diabetes in his mid 20s.

diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and it is believed that it is triggered by a virus. although I would have to say My dd is extremely healthy and rarely was sick as a child. There are many theories regarding this illness as well. I honestly can not recall a specific illness that triggered it. Most do though..remember the flu or virus before type one onset.

I was informed that we do not get enough vitamin D. And the omega-3 are important too. So why some children get Diabetes and others don't ...especially in the same family exposed to the same environment, diet, germs, ect...its rare for sibling to get it but not impossible. I would say that a greater number of children in adolescent age...are diagnosed. The stress of growth? Or is it more of a function of hormones? Thyroid disease is also very common in Diabetic children ( and celiac disease).

I don't have the answers...... please do continue to share your findings...I find them very interesting. Ead the back of the melatonin supplement ...it is not recommended for children or diabetics....do you know why? I agree that by darking the room and encouraging natural melatonin production is better.

Curious about how your son is doing? Is his curve still stable....last time in May 09, you stated it was. that is encouraging news..and hopefully remains that way.

watching the schroth videos .. one thing that is always encouraged is exercising outside in the fresh air and sunlight. Resetting the bodies natural mechanism, the light signals necessary to set circadian rhythms of the pineal gland.

[Dingo]

Bigbluefrog

Curious about how your son is doing? Is his curve still stable....last time in May 09, you stated it was. that is encouraging news..and hopefully remains that way.

Scott has his next 6 month checkup this month. I don't have a date yet but I'm already getting nervous. He was diagnosed with a 12 degree curve 1 year ago. At his first 6 month recheck it held stable at 11 degrees.

I'll find out soon how well he is doing and I'll post it here.