Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a relationship.
Inflammation is the body’s response to harmful
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it attempts to restore itself to normal
before the harm was done. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is always amazed at how the body takes care of itself!
Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre sees its Toronto chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing particularly
when spine pain is an issue. Chiropractic care utilizes
many tools like spinal manipulation, exercise, and nutrition to take care of
the body. Melatonin is one nutritional tool that is showing value
in its ability to interrupt 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 in fact promotes
itself, its own expression, by upregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. (2)
The body regulates itself down to its cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process during which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin boosted autophagy
and reduced 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 inhibits
intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting autophagy. (3)
Wow. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Toronto back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre that positive news of
melatonin’s benefits are quite exciting. A new
study stated that melatonin could modulate
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 linked
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 support
the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation performs
in Toronto disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in reducing
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in assisting
to slow or stop painful conditions due to inflammation is growing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other mechanisms 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 secretes 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 Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre and our Toronto back pain patients.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 addresses disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Toronto chiropractic appointment with
Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre today. We can discuss the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.