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 pushing
on a nerve!) as it attempts to repair itself
before the harm was achieved. Palmer Chiropractic Center is never
shocked at what the body can do!
Palmer Chiropractic Center sees its Lynchburg chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing especially
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 proving 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 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 boosted autophagy
and reduced the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically indicated by a decline
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. Palmer Chiropractic Center is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Lynchburg back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common malady
seen at Palmer Chiropractic Center that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A new
study stated that melatonin could modulate
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process started
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin reduced 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 disrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
suggested that melatonin may support
the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage was
already present. (1) Palmer Chiropractic Center continues
following the new research on the role inflammation performs
in Lynchburg disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in reducing
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in assisting
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is rising.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite fitting.
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 Palmer Chiropractic Center and our Lynchburg back pain patients.
CONTACT Palmer 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 Lynchburg chiropractic appointment with
Palmer Chiropractic Center soon. We can discuss the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.