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 pushing
on a nerve!) as it tries to repair itself
before the harm was done. Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn is always amazed at what the body can do!
Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn sees its Ashburn chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing especially
when there is spine pain. Chiropractic care uses
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 linked to 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 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 recent study, melatonin boosted autophagy
and lessened the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically marked 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. Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Ashburn back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite exciting. A recent
study stated that melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Further, melatonin reduced 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
proposed that melatonin may contribute to
the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn will keep
following the new research regarding the role inflammation has
in Ashburn 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 growing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule influencing
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite fitting.
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 influence on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most interesting
to Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn and our Ashburn back pain patients.
CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn
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 Ashburn chiropractic appointment with
Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn today. We can discuss how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.