August 2026 Healthy News from Executive Chiropractic of Iowa: Migraine Relief: Chiropractic Care & Self-Care Tips
CONSERVATIVE CARE FOR MIGRAINE: What Research Shows
If you live with migraines, you already know how debilitating they can be — upending work, family time, and everyday plans. The good news is that drug-free care options are earning growing attention in migraine research, and the results are encouraging for patients seeking relief beyond medication alone. A 2026 study published in Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital (1) shows just how genuinely the medical community is now taking non-pharmacological migraine care. The research team created and validated a structured headache education program for use as a comparison arm in future clinical trials testing multimodal chiropractic care for migraine — a sign that chiropractic-based approaches now meet the same rigorous research standards as drug therapies. Those standards are matched by real patient outcomes. In a case report published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (2), a middle-aged woman suffering up to 10 migraines a month — despite cycling through multiple medications — turned to conservative treatment using Cox® flexion-distraction of the cervical spine, paired with thoracolumbar spinal manipulation. After just 13 sessions over six weeks, she reported markedly fewer migraines, less reliance on pain medication, improved sleep, and a better mood. At Executive Chiropractic of Iowa, we use Cox® Technic to gently renew motion and ease pressure on the spine and nearby nerves — an approach this case report suggests may help calm the nervous system contributors to migraine. If you're in West Des Moines and looking for a drug-free route to less frequent, milder migraine attacks, we're here to help.
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. John Murray on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares relieving care for patients with some of the “worst of the worst” pain conditions (including his own cervical spine issue) using evidence-based The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: Self-Care Tips To Help Manage Migraines Between Visits
Alongside professional care, simple everyday choices can make a meaningful impact in migraine frequency and severity. A review in Frontiers in Neurology (3) showed that regular physical activity, weight management, a healthy diet, and consistent sleep all help lower how often — and how severely — migraines strike. Neurologists Robblee and Starling (4) capture this well in the mnemonic SEEDS: Sleep on a consistent schedule, Exercise regularly, Eat balanced meals and stay hydrated, keep a Diary to keep track of triggers, and manage Stress through relaxation or mindfulness. Exercise deserves special mention: a 2024 network meta-analysis in the journal Headache (5) found that yoga and moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise were among the most effective options for easing migraine frequency, intensity, and duration. Small changes — a regular bedtime, a brief walk each day, a few minutes of stress relief — can potentially mean noticeably fewer flare-ups. Combined with hands-on care like Cox® Technic, these habits give you a fuller toolkit for lasting relief.
We appreciate your trust in our conservative approach to health conditions. We’re here for you! See you at your next West Des Moines chiropractic appointment.
Be sure you have your next visit with us at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa set! Make it today!