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. Hollstrom & Associates Inc is always amazed at how the body takes care of itself!
Hollstrom & Associates Inc sees its Largo 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 take care of
the body. Melatonin is one nutritional tool that is proving value
by interrupting 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 linked 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 during which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a recent study, melatonin increased autophagy
and reduced the degradation of the disc’s
extracellular matrix (technically indicated 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. Hollstrom & Associates Inc is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can work for Largo back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Hollstrom & Associates Inc making positive news like this quite exciting. A new
study explained how melatonin could modulate
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated
by IL-1 β. Additionally, 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 provide
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Hollstrom & Associates Inc continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation has
in Largo disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in reducing
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in helping
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 apropos.
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 secretes 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 Hollstrom & Associates Inc and our Largo back pain patients.
CONTACT Hollstrom & Associates Inc
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 Largo chiropractic appointment with
Hollstrom & Associates Inc soon. We can discuss how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.