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Richmond Back Pain Related to Inflammation Reduced with Melatonin

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.

 
Johnson Chiropractic presents new findings that melatonin interrupts the inflammatory process in disc degeneration that causes back pain. 
 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."