Sitka Back Pain Related to Inflammation Reduced with Melatonin
Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship. Inflammation is the body’s response to harmful stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation pushing on a nerve!) as it attempts to restore itself to normal before the harm was achieved. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is never shocked at how the body takes care of itself! Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka sees its Sitka chiropractic care as a partner of the body’s system in healing particularly when spine pain is an issue. Chiropractic care uses 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 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 linked to intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β actually promotes itself, its own expression, by upregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. (2) The body controls itself down to its 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 enhanced 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 end conclusion was that melatonin inhibits intervertebral disc degeneration by stimulating autophagy. (3) Wow. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is inspired by this research to see just how well melatonin can perform for Sitka back pain related to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is such a common malady seen at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka that positive news of melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A new study described that melatonin could modulate 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 linked 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) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka continues following the new research on the role inflammation performs in Sitka disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in combatting it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The significance of melatonin in assisting 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 mechanisms is quite suitable. 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 impacts 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 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 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 Sitka chiropractic appointment with Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka soon. We can talk about how inflammation affects your back pain and how melatonin may address the related disc degeneration.
