Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship.
Inflammation is the body’s response to damaging
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation pushing
on a nerve!) as it tries to restore itself to normal
before the harm was achieved. Most Chiropractic Clinic is always amazed at what the body can do!
Most Chiropractic Clinic sees its Murfreesboro chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing especially
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
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 regulates itself down to the cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process during which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin boosted autophagy
and reduced the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically marked by a decline
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. Most Chiropractic Clinic is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Murfreesboro back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Most Chiropractic Clinic that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite exciting. A new
study described that melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin reduced the
inflammatory cell collection and reduced the release of associated
inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new discovery
that melatonin disrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
proposed that melatonin may support
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Most Chiropractic Clinic continues
following the new research on the role inflammation has
in Murfreesboro disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in combatting
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in helping
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is increasing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite apropos.
It’s 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 secretes melatonin naturally. Melatonin influences
the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy
(cell-cleanout) activities. (1) Melatonin’s specific influence on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most interesting
to Most Chiropractic Clinic and our Murfreesboro back pain patients.
CONTACT Most Chiropractic Clinic
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 addresses disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Murfreesboro chiropractic appointment with
Most Chiropractic Clinic today. We can talk about how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.