Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a connection.
Inflammation acts as the body’s response system to damaging
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it tries to restore itself to normal
before the harm was achieved. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is never
shocked at what the body can do!
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center sees its Manahawkin chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing particularly
when there is spine pain. Chiropractic care uses
many tools like spinal manipulation, exercise, and nutrition to help
the body. Melatonin is one nutritional tool that is showing value
in its ability to interrupt the inflammatory process
related disc herniation that brings about pain relief: back, neck, spine-related.
DISC DEGENERATION AND INFLAMMATION AND 'AUTOPHAGY'
Inflammatory markers interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6
(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are related
to intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β in fact promotes
itself, its own expression, by upregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. (2)
The body controls itself down to the cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process via which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a recent study, melatonin increased autophagy
and decreased 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 prevents
intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting autophagy. (3)
Wow. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Manahawkin back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Manahawkin Chiropractic Center that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A recent
study described that melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Further, melatonin decreased the
inflammatory cell collection and reduced the release of linked
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 was
already present. (1) Manahawkin Chiropractic Center continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Manahawkin disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in tackling
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in assisting
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is growing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms is quite appropriate.
It is also anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory, specifically
by hindering 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 influences
the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy
(cell-cleanout) processes. (1) Melatonin’s specific influence on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most interesting
to Manahawkin Chiropractic Center and our Manahawkin back pain patients.
CONTACT Manahawkin 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 describes how The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management handles disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Manahawkin chiropractic appointment with
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center today. We can talk about how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.