Inflammation. Disc Degeneration. There is a connection.
Inflammation acts as the body’s response system to damaging
stimuli (injury, pathogens, metabolic stress – a disc herniation compressing a nerve!) as it attempts to restore itself to normal
before the harm was done. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is always amazed at what the body can do!
Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC sees its La Grande 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 proving value
in its ability to interrupt 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 its cellular level
via autophagy, the natural process via which the body’s
cells clear out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In
a new study, melatonin enhanced autophagy
and reduced 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 prevents
intervertebral disc degeneration by stimulating autophagy. (3)
Wow. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is inspired by this research to see just
how well melatonin can perform for La Grande back pain related
to disc degeneration.
MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC
Disc degeneration is quite a common malady
seen at Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC making positive news like this quite exciting. A recent
study described that melatonin could modify
the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process started
by IL-1 β. Further, melatonin decreased the
inflammatory cell collection and decreased the release of associated
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 contribute to
the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage has already been done. (1) Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC continues
following the new research regarding the role inflammation has
in La Grande 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 increasing.
The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting
mood, immunity, and energy among other things is quite suitable.
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 influences
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 Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC and our La Grande back pain patients.
CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
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 handles disc
degeneration for relief of chronic low back pain in her patient.
Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment with
Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC now. We can discuss the role
inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may help with the related disc
degeneration.