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 tries to repair itself
before the harm was done. Apple Country Chiropractic is never
shocked at how the body takes care of itself!
Apple Country Chiropractic sees its Williamson chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing especially
when there is spine pain. Chiropractic care utilizes
many tools like spinal manipulation, exercise, and nutrition to help
the body. Melatonin is one nutritional tool that is proving 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 increased autophagy
and lessened 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 end conclusion was that melatonin prevents
intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting autophagy. (3)
Wow. Apple Country Chiropractic is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Williamson back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Apple Country Chiropractic making positive news like this quite rousing. A new
study explained how melatonin could modulate
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process started
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin reduced the
inflammatory cell collection and decreased the release of connected
inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new discovery
that melatonin disrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
postulated that melatonin may support
the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Apple Country Chiropractic will keep
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Williamson disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in tackling
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in helping
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is growing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule influencing
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite apropos.
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 secretes 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 Apple Country Chiropractic and our Williamson back pain patients.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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 addresses disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Williamson chiropractic appointment with
Apple Country Chiropractic today. We can talk about the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.