CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) In an age of quick fixes and one-size-fits-all medicine, Dr. Scott Wagner of Advanced Pain Management of Virginia is taking a more personalized approach. His latest podcast dives into the future of healthcare, addressing pain and chronic disease at the genetic level through cutting-edge testing and individualized solutions.

Dr. Wagner has a mantra that drives everything he does.

“The number one goal is getting you out of pain,” he said.

But, as he reveals in the podcast, pain is often just the symptom. The real culprit is frequently actually inflammation.

And surprisingly, that inflammation often starts not in joints or muscles but in the kitchen.

“Particular foods, based on your genetics, will have different impacts in terms of weight gain and inflammation,” said Dr. Wagner.

Through a groundbreaking tool called a methylation test, Dr. Wagner can now assess how a person’s body responds to specific foods.

“We switched one patient from watermelon to grapes she lost 25 pounds and gained 6 pounds of muscle,” he said.

Dr. Wagner poses that what many people think of as “healthy” food may be hurting them, depending on their unique DNA.

“It’s not that the avocado is bad,” he said. “It’s what that person’s genetics said, ‘that will not be processed and will cause inflammation.’”

“Why does keto work for one person and not the other? Why does one person count calories and lose weight, while another doesn’t?” Dr. Wagner asked. “The reality is that each person is different.”

Dr. Wagner’s methylation testing isn’t about ancestry or ethnicity. It’s about understanding how your body works on a molecular level.

“We’re finding breakpoints where your genes are broken and learning how to fix them with the right nutrition and supplements,” said Dr. Wagner.

This level of personalization is revolutionizing how patients understand their bodies.

“You’re not inflamed because of age,” said Dr. Wagner. “You’re inflamed because of what you’re doing and more importantly, what you’re not doing.”

Beyond food, Wagner emphasizes how critical recovery is to healing.

“The fastest way for a human body to be diseased? Stop sleeping,” he said. “You can go 30 days without eating, but you can’t go 3 days without sleep and function.”

The methylation test also provides insights into sleep patterns and energy production, showing how far-reaching the implications of genetic imbalance can be.

When asked if this testing is useful for children, Dr. Wagner didn’t hesitate.

“The first thing I did was test my kids,” he said. “My son had anxiety for years. We gave him the right B-vitamin supplements and he’s thriving now.”

Dr. Wagner believes that the earlier you understand your body’s blueprint, the more power you have to shape your health.

“When you do this right, you’re not just treating the knee—you’re improving the whole person,” said Dr. Wagner. “You don’t need surgery. You just need to find what’s causing the inflammation.”

When patients succeed, it’s not just a medical win but it’s a personal one.

“I’ve learned more from failing with patients than succeeding,” said Dr. Wagner. “That’s how I keep improving.”

Dr. Wagner’s clinic is one of only nine in the U.S. currently offering this type of Austrian-developed methylation test. He believes that soon, it will become a routine part of preventive medicine.

“Eventually, methylation testing will be a medical baseline for everybody,” he said.

Until then, Dr. Wagner continues his mission in Charlottesville in merging science, compassion, and innovation to help patients rewrite their health stories.