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 repair itself
before the harm was done. Vancouver Disc Centers is never
shocked at what the body can do!
Vancouver Disc Centers sees its Vancouver chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing particularly
when there is spine pain. Chiropractic care utilizes
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 associated with 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 the cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process via which the body’s
cells clean 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 indicated 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. Vancouver Disc Centers is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Vancouver back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is such a common malady
seen at Vancouver Disc Centers making positive news like this quite rousing. A recent
study described that melatonin could modify
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 linked
inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new finding
that melatonin interrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
proposed that melatonin may support
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Vancouver Disc Centers continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Vancouver 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 rising.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms is quite appropriate.
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 produces 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 Vancouver Disc Centers and our Vancouver back pain patients.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
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 Vancouver chiropractic appointment with
Vancouver Disc Centers soon. We can talk about how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.