The Benefits of Tea

Most of us have heard at least something about the healing qualities of tea. Tea has been linked to so many positive health benefits, some call it the 'miracle drug.' Not sure what all the hype is about???

Research shows that people who drink 2-5 cups of tea per day benefit very strongly. One component of tea is Theanine, which helps fight against bacterial and viral infections. Teas have even been linked to delaying the aging process,

fighting off high blood pressure and cholesterol, and helping lower levels of cancer-causing free radicals in your body.

Need more incentive?? Some teas also contain flouride for healthy teeth and Vitamin K, which helps prevent blood from clotting. Tea is also virtually calorie free and although it does contain caffeine, each cup of tea has less than half the caffeine that a cup of coffee contains. (teabenefits.com)

Not Impressed YET? ... There is SO MUCH MORE! There are so many different varieties of tea, and you can select teas that are specially suited for certain health conditions.

Check out teabenefits.com for more on all the benefits of tea, and choosing the best tea for you.

If you are interesting in reaping the health benefits of tea, why not swap out your morning coffee for a couple cups of tea? See for yourself the benefits that tea can bring to your health.

Tips for Shoveling Snow

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow! ... If only we could really feel cheery about all this snow. Most of us aren't singing a jolly tune about snowflakes falling these days. Who likes to shovel driveways and sidewalks, scrape ice of cars, all while treading very carefully so we dont slip and fall?!

The American Chiropractic Association suggests the following tips for when you are shoveling snow:

If you must shovel snow, be careful. Listen to weather forecasts so you can rise early and have time to shovel before work.

Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.

Shoveling can strain "de-conditioned" muscles between your shoulders, in your upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs. So, do some warm-up stretching before you grab that shovel.

When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead. Don't try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank. Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions.

Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Let the muscles of your legs and arms do the work, not your back.

Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles. A fatigued body asks for injury.

Stop if you feel chest pain, or get really tired or have shortness of breath. You may need immediate professional help.
(taken from the acatoday.org)

Cost of Chiropractic vs Cost of Medical Care

A study done by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine did a study in 2002 that found that in patients which 'traditional medicine could not help', Chiropractic and other Alternative Medicine helped 60% of those patients achieve a 'great deal' of benefit.

Do any of you have similar stories? We see it all the time here. For many conditions, you will find more relief with Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy than you can within traditional Medicine.

For Example:

Chiropractic costs (on average) around 40% LESS than care with a Medical Doctor. Thats why many insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield benefit from people using Chiropractors... because people get BETTER, and SAVE them money!!

The purpose of this blog is to better inform my patients and would-be patients about some of the benefits of Chiropractic. This perk: Saving money, while receiving MORE benefit than with traditional medicine.

CLICK HERE to read about how Americans are spending 30.5 BILLION Dollars each year on back problems!

Considering Chiropractic

A lot of people still wonder when exactly they should consult a Chiropractor.

There are many reasons to seek chiropractic care. Work, accidents, sports injuries, household chores... and just the stress of daily living can cause painful joint and spinal problems. However, as discussed in previous posts, you do not have to have painful symptoms to benefit from Chiropractic, because chiropractic care can help you maintain healthy spine and joint function.

Here are some of the most common reasons why Americans visit a chiropractor each year:

• Back pain

• Neck pain

• Headache

• Whiplash

• Strains and sprains from daily activities

• Repetitive strain injuries

• Work and sports-related injuries

• Arthritis

• Restricted movement in the back,

shoulders, neck or limbs

Call us to schedule your appointment today, whether for injury, pain, or just to optimize your total body wellness! 217-345-1010

A Note on High Blood Pressure

If a patient has high blood pressure, a standard medical approach would be to prescribe a drug that lowers blood pressure.

This very well may lower the blood pressure, but ignores the underlying cause that is making the blood pressure high to begin with. Also, these drugs run the risk of side effects complicating the person’s recovery. Whether it’s a nutritional issue, faulty control by the nerve system or a manifestation of stress, the medication can effectively lower blood pressure, leaving the problem that causes the symptom of high blood pressure unresolved.

Though there are some cases where pharmaceuticals are necessary to fix problems, many times when the body is well maintained and in alignment, the body will begin to help itself. Your body can preform better. Sometimes, its even possible to cut back on the medicine you are on or cease it completely. Click here to watch a short video on how Chiropractic has helped others lower successfully lower their blood pressure.

As a society, we need to ease up on the medicine to take away negative symptoms. We need to shift our focus to making ourselves healthy... so that we may not need to get to the point where medicine is required. Be PROACTIVE in your health.

Schedule an appointment today by calling (217) 345-1010, and get back on the road to better health.

Pregnancy and Low-Back Pain

Dont let Low-Back Pain take all the JOY out of your pregnancy!!

Many times it has been said that pregnant women have a 'glow' about them. Its such a wonderful, exciting time. However, there are many changes going on in the body that can become problemsome, too. Low-back pain is something over 70% of women experience during pregnancy. Low-back pain can make it hard for these soon-to-be-mommies to sleep or even be comfortable during daily routines.

Chiropractic care can be very beneficial to expectant mothers.


If you are pregnant and experiencing low-back pain, Dr. Combs can propose a safe and gentle care plan for you. 345-1010

Hope everyone is enjoying the start of the new year! In 2011, was your resolution to take better care of yourself or your body? Anyone out there suffering with low-back or neck pain.. pain that might be standing in the way of accomplishing your New Year's Resolutions?
Here are some interesting Stats on how Chiropracitc has helped others become pain free:

For Acute and Chronic Pain

“Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56 percent vs. 13 percent) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse or much worse.”
– Nyiendo et al (2000), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics


In a Randomized controlled trial, 183 patients with neck pain were randomly allocated to manual therapy (spinal mobilization), physiotherapy (mainly exercise) or general practitioner care (counseling, education and drugs) in a 52-week study. The clinical outcomes measures showed that manual therapy resulted in faster recovery than physiotherapy and general practitioner care. Moreover, total costs of the manual therapy-treated patients were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.
-- Korthals-de Bos et al (2003), British Medical Journal

Call us today @ 345-1010 to set up an appointment with Dr. Combs and make that New Year's resolution a REALITY!

Taken from the American Chiropractic Association