Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship.
Inflammation is the body’s response to damaging
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it attempts to restore itself to normal
before the harm was done. Minster Chiropractic Center is never
shocked at how the body takes care of itself!
Minster Chiropractic Center sees its Minster chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing particularly
when spine pain is an issue. Chiropractic care utilizes
many tools like spinal manipulation, exercise, and nutrition to take care of
the body. Melatonin is one nutritional tool that is showing value
by interrupting the inflammatory process
related disc herniation that results
in back pain, neck pain and other spine related pain.
DISC DEGENERATION AND INFLAMMATION AND 'AUTOPHAGY'
Inflammatory markers interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6
(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are linked to intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β in fact promotes
itself, its own expression, by upregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. (2)
The body regulates itself down to its cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process during which the body’s
cells clean out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin increased autophagy
and reduced the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically indicated by a decrease
in marker LC3B, autophagasomes and autolysosomes and inhibition of the NF-kB
signaling pathway). The final conclusion was that melatonin inhibits
intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting autophagy. (3)
Wow. Minster Chiropractic Center is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Minster back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Minster Chiropractic Center making positive news like this quite rousing. A new
study explained how melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process started
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin reduced the
inflammatory cell collection and reduced the release of connected
inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new discovery
that melatonin interrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
suggested that melatonin may contribute to
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Minster Chiropractic Center continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Minster disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in combatting
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in assisting
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is rising.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms is quite suitable.
It is also anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory, specifically
by blocking the activation of inflammasomes (4) Melatonin’s
formal chemical name is as about as long as its list of tasks: N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine.
The pineal gland produces melatonin naturally. Melatonin impacts
the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy
(cell-cleanout) processes. (1) Melatonin’s specific effect on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most attention-getting
to Minster Chiropractic Center and our Minster back pain patients.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Hrefna Sylvia based in Iceland where back pain isn’t much different
from any other country on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr.
Michael Johnson as she illustrates how The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management handles disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Minster chiropractic appointment with
Minster Chiropractic Center today. We can discuss the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.