Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship.
Inflammation is the body’s response to harmful
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it attempts to repair itself
before the harm was done. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is always amazed at what the body can do!
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka sees its Sitka 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
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 actually 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 clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin enhanced autophagy
and decreased the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically marked 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 stimulating autophagy. (3)
Wow. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Sitka back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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 started
by IL-1 β. Further, melatonin decreased 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 was
already present. (1) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka will keep
following the new research on the role inflammation performs
in Sitka 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 rising.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule influencing
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms is quite apropos.
It’s 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 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 attention-getting
to Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka and our Sitka back pain patients.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
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 Sitka chiropractic appointment with
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka now. We can talk about how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.