Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship.
Inflammation is the body’s response to harmful
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation pushing
on a nerve!) as it tries to repair itself
before the harm was done. Spine & Sports Rehab Center is never
shocked at what the body can do!
Spine & Sports Rehab Center sees its Baton Rouge chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing especially
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
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 associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β actually 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 clean out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a recent study, melatonin boosted autophagy
and lessened 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 stimulating autophagy. (3)
Wow. Spine & Sports Rehab Center is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Baton Rouge back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is such a common malady
seen at Spine & Sports Rehab Center that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A new
study explained how melatonin could modulate
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process started
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 interrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
postulated that melatonin may contribute to
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Spine & Sports Rehab Center will keep
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Baton Rouge disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in tackling
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The significance of melatonin in assisting
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is increasing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule influencing
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms 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 produces melatonin naturally. Melatonin impacts
the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy
(cell-cleanout) processes. (1) Melatonin’s specific effect on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most attention-getting
to Spine & Sports Rehab Center and our Baton Rouge back pain patients.
CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab 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 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 Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment with
Spine & Sports Rehab Center soon. We can talk about the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.