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 attempts to repair itself
before the harm was done. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is always amazed at how the body takes care of itself!
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries sees its Manchester chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing particularly
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 showing value
in its ability to interrupt 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 related
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 the cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process via which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin increased 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. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Manchester back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A recent
study explained how melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Additionally, melatonin decreased the
inflammatory cell collection and decreased the release of associated
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 provide
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage was
already present. (1) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries will keep
following the new research on the role inflammation performs
in Manchester disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in tackling
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The significance of melatonin in helping
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is rising.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule influencing
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite appropriate.
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 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 Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries and our Manchester back pain patients.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
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 Manchester chiropractic appointment with
Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries today. We can talk about the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.