San Jose Back Pain Related to Inflammation Reduced with Melatonin
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 attempts to repair itself before the harm was achieved. Chiropractic Solutions is always amazed at how the body takes care of itself! Chiropractic Solutions sees its San Jose chiropractic care as the body’s partner in healing especially 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 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 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 new study, melatonin enhanced autophagy and decreased 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 inhibits intervertebral disc degeneration by stimulating autophagy. (3) Wow. Chiropractic Solutions is inspired by this research to see just how well melatonin can perform for San Jose back pain linked to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition seen at Chiropractic Solutions that positive news of melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A new study described that 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 linked inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new finding that melatonin disrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers proposed that melatonin may support the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage was already present. (1) Chiropractic Solutions continues following the new research regarding the role inflammation performs in San Jose disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in reducing it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The significance 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 fitting. It’s 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 influences 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 interesting to Chiropractic Solutions and our San Jose back pain patients.
CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions
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 San Jose chiropractic appointment with Chiropractic Solutions today. We can discuss the role inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may help with the related disc degeneration.
