OK, so maybe it’s not quite the Oscars or the Emmys, but Prevention magazine’s 2011 Integrative Medicine Awards do hold sway with followers of the popular health publication.

For those of us seeking stress management tools, the awards are a significant endorsement of strategies we’ve heard about but perhaps have been reluctant to try, fearing that their benefits were isolated and/or anecdotal.

Reading the feature story about the Integrative Medicine Awards, though, gave me more incentive to give three things a try: acupressure (a cousin of acupuncture), yoga and massage.

All three fall under the heading of complementary and alternative treatments — what a traditional healthcare practitioner might call “natural remedies.” Yet nowadays many doctors will gladly recommend these alternatives. Prevention writer Catherine Winters calls it a health care revolution, citing 38 percent as the number of Americans who already use integrative practices.

In saluting acupressure, the article describes a University of Colorado study in which brain injury patients reported better memory and less stress and anxiety after four weeks of acupressure. This ancient art relies on various touch points along the body where the application of mild hand and finger pressure subdues pain.

Yoga takes the spotlight regarding new information about regular yoga sessions as a complement to medications in controlling atrial fibrillation (quick, irregular heartbeat). As for yoga’s benefits regarding the control of stress and anxiety, those are already well-established, the article points out. Also an ancient art, yoga incorporates various gentle moves and stretches to work on balance, breathing, strength and flexibility.

A study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles makes the case for massage, not just for alleviating stress, but for fighting allergies, asthma and inflammation. The proof was in blood samples that showed a spike in lymphocytes, or “good” white blood cells, and a decrease in the hormone linked to stress after test subjects received a 45-minute Swedish massage. Therapists have various methods of massage at their disposal.

Also receiving an award is the practice of mindfulness meditation, especially as a pain reliever. The idea is to find a quiet and comfortable place where you can focus on the present, not on your worries, for about 20 minutes a day.

For a deeper look at the feature article, go to http://www.prevention.com/health/health/natural-remedies/natural-cures-prevention-s-integrative-medicine-awards-2011/article/84a67255a8983310VgnVCM10000030281eac____

Another good source for exploration of remedies that don’t rely on drugs or surgery is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at http://nccam.nih.gov/

Especially see the “How to Find a CAM Practitioner” page for advice on finding credentialed providers of alternative treatments as well as tips on broaching the subject of such treatments with your doctor.

As NCCAM warns, though, “Do not use a CAM therapy as a replacement for proven conventional care or as a reason to postpone seeing a physician about a medical problem.”