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 restore itself to normal
before the harm was achieved. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is always amazed at what the body can do!
Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic sees its Montreal chiropractic care as a partner of
the body’s system in healing especially
when spine pain is an issue. 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 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 related
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 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 final conclusion was that melatonin inhibits
intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting autophagy. (3)
Wow. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is encouraged by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for Montreal back pain linked
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is a very common condition
seen at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic 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 reduced the release of associated
inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. With this new finding
that melatonin interrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers
postulated that melatonin may contribute to
the restoration process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation plays
in Montreal disc degeneration and melatonin’s role in tackling
it.
INFLAMMATION AND MELATONIN
The importance of melatonin in helping
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 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 influence on
inflammation and disc degeneration is most attention-getting
to Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic and our Montreal back pain patients.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
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 describes how The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management manages disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your Montreal chiropractic appointment with
Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic now. We can discuss how inflammation affects your
back pain and how melatonin may address the related disc
degeneration.