West Des Moines Back Pain Related to Inflammation Reduced with Melatonin

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. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa is always amazed at what the body can do! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa sees its West Des Moines 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 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 associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. (1) IL-1 β actually promotes itself, its own expression, by upregulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. (2) The body controls itself down to the cellular level via autophagy, the natural process during which the body’s cells clean out damaged (ie, by inflammation) or unneeded parts. In a new study, melatonin boosted autophagy and lessened the degradation of the disc’s extracellular matrix (technically marked 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 promoting autophagy. (3) Wow. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa is inspired by this research to see just how well melatonin can work for West Des Moines back pain related to disc degeneration.

MELATONIN AND ITS HEALING WAYS FOR THE DISC

Disc degeneration is a very common condition seen at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa that positive news of melatonin’s benefits are quite rousing. A new study stated that melatonin could modulate the extracellular matrix of the disc remodeling process initiated by IL-1 β. Additionally, 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 interrupted the IL-1B feedback loop, researchers postulated that melatonin may provide the healing process of intervertebral discs after damage was already present. (1) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa will keep following the new research on the role inflammation plays in West Des Moines 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 rising. The description of melatonin as a multitasking molecule affecting mood, immunity, and energy among other things 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 impacts the body’s aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis (cell death), and autophagy (cell-cleanout) activities. (1) Melatonin’s specific effect on inflammation and disc degeneration is most interesting to Executive Chiropractic of Iowa and our West Des Moines back pain patients.

CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa

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 West Des Moines chiropractic appointment with Executive Chiropractic of Iowa today. We can talk about the role inflammation plays in your back pain experience and how melatonin may address the related disc degeneration.

 
Executive Chiropractic of Iowa presents new findings that melatonin interrupts the inflammatory process in disc degeneration that causes back pain. 
 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."