Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a connection.
Inflammation acts as the body’s response system to harmful
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it tries to repair itself
before the harm was achieved. Johnson Chiropractic is always amazed at what the body can do!
Johnson Chiropractic sees its Richmond chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing especially
when spine pain is an issue. Chiropractic care utilizes
many tools like spinal manipulation, exercise, and nutrition to help
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 related
to intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β in fact 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 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. Johnson Chiropractic is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Richmond back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Johnson Chiropractic that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite exciting. A new
study explained how melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin reduced the
inflammatory cell collection and reduced 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 provide
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage was
already present. (1) Johnson Chiropractic continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation performs
in Richmond 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’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 produces melatonin naturally. Melatonin impacts
the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy
(cell-cleanout) activities. (1) Melatonin’s specific effect on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most attention-getting
to Johnson Chiropractic and our Richmond back pain patients.
CONTACT Johnson 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 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 Richmond chiropractic appointment with
Johnson Chiropractic now. We can discuss how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.