If you’re like most of us, you’d say (or at least hear from others):

“It’s infected! That really needs something put on it. See that redness? That means there’s infection in there, and you have to get it out. The main thing is to get the swelling down. Then it will heal.”

The truth is that, without inflammation, we would never heal from anything.

You see, inflammation (when a part of the body becomes red, swollen, hot, and painful) is the perfectly natural response of the body to an injury or infection. The purpose of inflammation is to prevent further infection, to remove or expel the aggravating stimulus, and to promote healing.

So, some inflammation is good, if allowed to do its job.

However, see the word “flame” in “inflammation”? Just as a little fire can cook our food and sterilize our utensils, it can also get out of control and destroy a forest.

 Chronic inflammation is the blaze that should be put out as quickly as possible.

Chronic inflammation is usually a reaction to the ongoing presence of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc), irritants, foreign bodies, or immune responses. It tends to lead to the destruction of tissues rather than healing.

In recent years, research has led many experts to suspect chronic inflammation as the underlying cause of many diseases such as:

•  Type II diabetes
•  Heart disease
•  Stroke
•  Some cancers
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Other diseases which have unknown causes, like allergies, fibromyalgia and migraines.

So how do we keep this flame under control? Interestingly enough, the foods we eat (which we’ll discuss next week) play a big part in whether chronic inflammation is fed or quenched.

Pain’s the stuff that hurts, you say. What does it matter where it comes from or what it’s for?

Well, it does matter. Our bodies were designed to feel pain. Pain keeps us from poking our eyes out or breaking our teeth or biting through our thumbs while we eat our hamburgers. Pain protects us from extreme heat and cold by telling us to leave the situation ASAP. In essence, pain is our most powerful shield.

But what part of you actually feels pain? Is it your body or your brain? Well, your body uses a variety of receptors and transmitters to send information to the brain, information such as temperature, pressure, spatial relationships (close your eyes and think about where your hand is), joint movement, cell and tissue damage, and moisture. But your body itself does not really feel anything at all. Your brain processes the information the body gives it, looks through the files of your past experiences, surveys your immediate surroundings, and shouts the interpretation back at you.

Brain: Hot! That’s hot! Here’s some pain to make you move! Move now, Hand, or all is lost! Go!

Hand: (jerking away) I’d better move!

You: Ouch! I burned my hand!

Now, the outcome of this dramatic scene (which I will be submitting as a screenplay after this blog, so watch for the movie to come out this fall), is this: You may have singed your hand a little bit, but the truth is that your brain just did its job to make sure your hand didn’t turn into ashes and bones before your eyes.

Don’t try to reenact the above scene, but you can try this experiment just to play with how your nerves work with your brain memory: Fill three bowls with water: one with hot water (not so hot as to burn you), one with cold water (use ice, but remove the ice before beginning the experiment), and one with room temperature water. Put one finger of one hand in the hot water and put one finger of the other hand in the cold water and leave them for about 1 minute. Now, place both fingers in the room temperature water. What do you notice? What can we learn from this? Our brain not only relies on sensory input from our body to make decisions, but also on past experiences and external reference points.

So, while it’s true that pain is a signal that something is wrong, pain itself is a good thing. It’s your protection. Appreciate it.

Sorry, couldn’t resist the humor…a moment of hilarity passed before me, and I had to seize it.

Seriously, let’s talk about your work space—the place you spend at least half of your waking hours. If, like most of us, you sit at a desk all day, you may come home from work as tired and in as much pain as if you had been doing heavy labor that whole time. If so, then your work-space may not be spine-friendly.

The following are just a few minor, easy changes to the way you sit that can really make a difference in how you feel while you’re at work—and even how you feel when you get home.
1. Check your chair: The ideal chair is a well-constructed ergonomic chair, one that you personally selected for comfort in the store (as opposed to ordered by mail or off the Web). Your chair should have:
a. a good backrest that provides lumbar support
b. the ability to recline (a 100-110 degree angle is best for your spine)
c. the ability to rotate or swivel so your lower body isn’t stuck in the same position as you switch tasks

2. Check your desk: Your desk is pretty much your world while you’re at work, so it needs to be a good one. Your desk should be:
a. stable (it should not wobble as you work)
b. the proper height for you (start with 28” to 30” above the floor—that seems to work for most adults)
c. large enough to accommodate your computer, as well as provide a decent writing surface
d. small enough that you don’t have to reach too far to accomplish your work

3. Check your computer: If your desk is your world, your computer is your universe. You probably know its screen better than you do your own face. Since you’re looking in its direction for so many hours at a time, your computer’s position is vital to how your spine feels. Try these things for a better day at work:
a. Tilt the keyboard down and slightly away from you for better posture of the wrists
b. Keep your mouse as close to your body as possible. If you keep your arms extended, you strain your neck and shoulders. Your arms should be relaxed.
c. Your monitor should be directly in front of you, at eye level. If your monitor is to one side, it can cause neck and eye strain.
d. Laptops should (ideally) have an external monitor and/or keyboard. That way, you can place each piece separately to your specific comfort.

Above all, take a break. My brain gets addled when I’m in front of the computer, and my spine does too. Staying in one position for a long time does not benefit your spine at all. Stretch, take a short walk, and loosen your muscles. Your brain will get some welcome oxygen, and your spine will breathe a sigh of relief too.

Whether or not you like your job is up to you—but feeling good while you’re there can make all the difference in your attitude. Let me know if you get a raise!

Cosmetics Saleslady: We also have this new face cream which neutralizes the free radicals that attack the skin. Let me ask you: what’s your skin regime?
Dr. Abby Barnes: My regime? The regime from which the radicals are trying to get free? Are we selling face cream or staging a coup?

Joking aside, the terms “free radicals,” “oxidation,” and “antioxidants” are terms that are all over the news, but can be confusing if not explained.

First of all, “free radicals” are simply left over pieces of molecules from chemical reactions that occur in all living things. The main form of these free radicals is unbound oxygen; in other words, they are single oxygen molecules that float around unattached.

“Oxidation” is damage from oxygen. You see, oxygen is what you might call “highly-reactive”, which means it tends to damage the things around it. In everyday life, we call “oxidation” by a more common name–”rust”.

The free radical theory of aging holds that free radicals are what cause the aging process in all living things.

Does that mean that when we get old we start to rust? Well, essentially, yes it does. I don’t like to think of myself as breaking down and rusting any more than you do, but, unfortunately, that’s the inevitable truth that we all must face.

While this oxidation process is natural and unavoidable, excessive amounts of free radicals can be very dangerous and lead to diseases such as cancer, dementia, arthritis, and a host of others.

So what can we do? Can we really stage a “coup” against these “free radicals”?

Well, we can do our best by eating foods rich in antioxidants. If you’ve wondered what that word meant, here’s your chance for it to make sense to you. Antioxidants are molecules that, in effect, bind with free radicals and become oxidized themselves, so that the free radicals are no longer “free” to cause damage.

Think of it as spraying the inside of your body with rust preventative.

Most antioxidants are the vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are now widely available in supplement form as well, although these are no substitute for a healthy diet. In fact, research shows strong evidence that the cause of over production of free radicals is simply over-eating, especially fats and carbs.

Let me close by saying that, while free radicals must be kept under control, we can’t survive without making them. In fact, all living beings produce free radicals, so they can’t be completely bad. Also, too many antioxidants in the body have proved to decrease the average life span in mice, so you can have too much of a good thing.

Keep the free radicals happy, but keep them at bay.

Some days I think I hear “Bless You” more than I hear “Hello.” I wake up sneezing and often go to bed in like fashion. I even watch the sale fliers for the best deals on Kleenexes so that I can sufficiently stock up.

Unfortunately, this part of the country is fraught with pollen and humidity, so very few of us are exempt from yearly sinus problems, which usually come in the forms of sinus pressure, sinusitis (inflammation), and sinus infections.

The sinuses are pockets of air in the skull that are connected to the throat and nose. Their purpose is to drain away excess mucus and to protect the lungs against infection. The passages that connect the sinuses to the nose and throat can get clogged, leading to excess pressure in the sinuses, which causes pain and/or discomfort.

The clogging occurs when there is too much mucus for the sinuses to handle; long term clogging can provide an excellent breeding ground for inflammation and infection.

The most common sinuses affected are the frontal sinuses (above the eyes) and the maxillary sinuses (inside the cheekbones). Pain from these sinuses will generally be felt in the forehead, behind the eyes, above the cheekbones, or in the teeth.

Again, many sinus problems have to do with our environment, but most of us don’t have the luxury of moving away just to avoid sneezing. However, here are some simple steps you can take to minimize mucus without packing up your home:
1. Avoid dairy products except for yogurt and cottage cheese (dairy foods increase mucus production)
2. Avoid sugar altogether (sugar can inflame the sinuses and increase mucus production)
3. Drink lots of water (it thins mucus secretions), as well as hot liquids
4. Use a warm compress on your face
5. Massage your face over the sinus passages (with a light, circular motion)

Spring is in full swing, and it’s a beautiful one. This year, let’s reach for the sunscreen and sunglasses more than the tissues and antihistamines. And try to say “Hello” more than “Achoo!”

This week let’s look at the famous Vitamin C. Can it really keep you healthy? I mean, that’s what Grandma always said to take, right?

Well, according to Web MD, the buzz about Vitamin C came about in the 1970s, and ever since then people have been reaching for supplements or a glass of orange juice at the first sign of a cold.

However, the value of Vitamin C was first discovered in the 1700s when a British doctor found that lemon juice could be used to heal scurvy (a disease that we now know was rampant because of a lack of fruits and vegetables).

That’s why the government’s daily recommended allowance of Vitamin C is 60mg—that’s the minimum amount you need to prevent scurvy! (Sorry, boss, can’t come in today. I have scurvy.)

But, in truth, Vitamin C does so much more, like:
• Maintaining bones, muscles, and blood vessels
• Forming collagen
• Helping the body absorb iron

Vitamin C can also be a possible cancer preventer. It is a water-soluble antioxidant that can directly affect the free radicals in the body (the “baddies” that cause tissue damage that becomes cancer).

And, Vitamin C does impact the immune system because Vitamin C is involved with T-cells and white blood cells—cells that fight to keep diseases at bay.

However, one July 2007 study (that looked at 60 years of clinical research) found that Vitamin C doesn’t actually shorten a cold by very much, even if taken daily. In this study, Vitamin C lessened cold duration by 8% in adults and by 14% in children—unless the people were in extreme condition (marathon runners, etc). This group of Vitamin C takers had colds half as often as their flabbier peers.

Web MD also claims that doses of Vitamin C higher than 2000mg/day may cause kidney stones, nausea, and diarrhea. However, other studies have shown that a dose of 500mg a day can significantly reduce the risk of periodontal disease.

So, I will say here what I’ve said numerous times. You be the judge. If you find that Vitamin C wards off your colds, keep on trucking with it. It certainly can’t hurt (unless grossly abused), and your entire body will most likely be healthier from taking it.

But, if you claim that Vitamin C does very little for your colds, it seems that you are in good company (unless you’re a marathon runner).

They’re in energy drinks. They’re in just about every metabolism-boosting supplement out there. I’ve even seen them in colossal amounts—like 4900% of the daily value!

But do B vitamins really give you energy?

Well, first of all, when you take a mega dose of B, you don’t really get that mega dose. You absorb just what your body needs (which you probably already are getting from your food), and you…well…pee the rest out. Sorry, couldn’t think of a better way to put it.

Secondly, the energy supplements that contain B vitamins usually also contain green tea and other caffeinated products, as well as sugar, which give you the buzz you’re looking for. B vitamins are not going to make you get off the couch and start turning cartwheels. Sorry.

Now, don’t get me wrong. You need B vitamins to metabolize food to energy and for healthy brain function. But they don’t work as fuel, and they are not the same as caffeine.

Still, I know people who take B vitamins who swear that they make all the difference in how they feel.

That’s because, as I said, the B vitamins help you metabolize the energy from your food. If you are B vitamin deficient, yes you will feel sluggish. But you’ll also feel lethargic if you’re not eating right, no matter what supplements you take.

Supplements are just supplemental. No vitamin can counteract the effects of eating a poor diet.

If you’re feeling tired and sluggish, I suggest you take a look at your eating habits. Get the right amount of calories, avoid excess fat and sugar, and get plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats such as in fish, lean meat, poultry, and eggs (which, incidentally, contain plenty of B12).

You already know how to eat well. Don’t rely on vitamins to do the work for you. They won’t.

He’s also known for many adages, the most famous being “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”.

Whether Franklin abided by his own advice, I don’t know. The discipline in his life is questionable, based on much of his behavior.

However, both science and experience can tell us that there is something to the “early to bed and early to rise” philosophy.

For instance, in a recent Australian study of 2200 teenagers, the kids who went to bed earlier and woke up earlier were slimmer and more physically active than their “night owl” peers. In fact, the ones who stayed up late were 1.5 times more likely to be obese than the ones who went to bed early (all the kids studied got the same amount of sleep).

Of course, this evidence may well be circumstantial. The kids that stay up late may be video gamers who live a sedentary lifestyle all the time, and the “early birds” may be athletes.

Still, let’s look at our own lives.

We all know how it goes: You have a day off, so the night before you stay up late watching “Name that Fruit,” or whatever. Then you sleep late and don’t get dressed until 1:00 pm. Then the ball game comes on. Then it’s movie night.

And how do you feel when you go to bed after a day like this? Rested? Relaxed?

No, if you’re like me, you probably feel grouchy and exhausted. Laziness wears you out.

Now think about how you feel after a day with some structure to it—a day that starts out with the first victory of getting up on time, followed by many more accomplishments?

You feel that “good kind of tired,” the kind that’s almost energizing, and you sleep great the next night.

And that’s, I think, how it works.

When you have discipline, you become healthier because you have more energy to get up and move.

You become wiser because you have more time, before the rest of your family gets up, to think, soul search, and study.

And as far as becoming wealthier, all I can say is that laziness wastes money—discipline must surely make it!

But why do I have this philosophy?

One reason is economics. Not taking insurance actually allows me to charge you less than I could if I did accept it. That’s right. Less.

How so?

Well, first of all, my individual visit charge of $20 is less than most people’s co-pay. Also, if you’re on one of my monthly payment plans with unlimited visits, then the charge-per-visit is probably way less than your insurance co-pay. I would call that a deal.

Second, the exchange of paperwork would be so great that I could no longer run a one-man show. I would definitely have to hire someone to take care of the paperwork. If I brought in an employee, I can pretty much guarantee that that person would want to be paid. To make that happen, I would have to raise my rates.

Third, I would definitely have to raise my rates if I took insurance because all insurance companies make doctors sign contracts that cut the rates by a certain percentage. Long story short, I would have to charge $25 for the insurance company to allow enough to cover a co-pay of $20, which is on the low end of the spectrum. I would actually probably have to charge $30-$40 to be able to cover everybody’s co-pays, since the insurance companies also demand that I charge everyone the same thing.

I hate charging too much, I hate wasting money, and I hate paperwork. No fun. Not interested. I would rather keep my overhead extremely low, and keep my fees low to match.

Are you with me so far on this? I’ve only covered the economic reason!

There are plenty more reasons why I don’t take insurance. I don’t want an insurance company dictating how I run my practice. I don’t want them standing in the way of what I know to be true in terms of care, or interfering with what I know works. And, most importantly, I don’t want anyone regulating who I can and cannot treat.

This isn’t reinventing the wheel. This is old school. Insurance only came onto the medical scene in recent decades. Before that, you went to the doctor, you were treated, and you got better. There were no regulations, there was no paperwork, and care was way less expensive.

Let’s get back to basics.

Well, even “autopilot” isn’t the right word, because, when an airplane is on autopilot, at least the plane can go smoothly from point A to point B.

No, I mean that sometimes I seem to be in a fog where I have trouble thinking, concentrating, or, well, sometimes basically functioning. And, when I feel this way, I usually also feel grouchy, nervous, or a little blue. Not my best moments, to say the least.

However, one thing usually seems to help without fail: exercise.

I’m not talking about hours of cardio or pumping iron on the level of Mr. Universe. I simply mean a brisk walk.

When I walk briskly, whether indoors or out, I invariably seem to feel better. I think more clearly. I function more effectively. It’s like the little guy that lives in my brain wakes up, opens the windows, and takes a deep breath.

And, in a matter of speaking, that’s exactly what happens.

You see, the brain needs plenty of oxygen, and exercise is a great way to get that little dude in my brain a breath of fresh air.

And how does this work? Well, exercise:

• Helps you breathe better. When you walk briskly, you breathe more deeply and more regularly, and you never forget to breathe (like you do while working at the computer or playing video games)

• Makes your lungs stronger. Stronger lungs lead to better breathing, whether or not you’re in motion

• Delivers nourishing oxygen throughout all parts of your body. Not only your brain gets to breath, but the rest of your body does too. No wonder oxygen makes you feel refreshed!

Of course, there are plenty of other factors that contribute to the brain’s reception of oxygen. That’s for another blog, or even an entire book.

However, light exercise is not only highly effective in this matter, but it’s cheap, simple, and you can do it almost any time.

After all, if your brain ain’t happy, ain’t none of you happy.