Massage for depression
It's a no-brainer: Chronic mental and emotional stress, both of which can lead to depression, are eased by massage, so it's hardly a surprise that a number of studies conclude that massage therapy helps lift the blues. Researchers suspect that massage spurs the release of mood-boosting endorphins, perhaps in response to both physical manipulation and intimate hands-on touch. Some studies show that massage therapy is as effective as prescription antidepressants, such as Prozac and Paxil, in relieving anxiety, a major contributor to depression.

Hidden benefit: Massage therapy relieves stiffness and pain and speeds healing of sports injuries.

Tai Chi for insomnia
Are you a chronic tosser and turner? Can't sleep beyond the first chirps and tweets of the morning chorus? Try tai chi. The slow, meditative exercise regimen, originally developed as a martial art in China more than 2,500 years ago and practiced widely across Asia today, improves sleep quality in adults with moderate insomnia, CAM researchers say. The benefits, linked to tai chi's well-established ability to reduce stress, kicked in after participants practiced the routine for 16 weeks. You will need regular instruction at first, so look for classes at your Y or gym.

Hidden benefit: Tai chi helps improve balance and reduce risk of falling.

Bromelain for swelling
The indigenous peoples of South America have used bromelain for centuries to dress and treat wounds. Now, recent research confirms that a medicinal compound (today taken in a pill) extracted from the stem and juice of the pineapple plant speeds healing of acute injuries such as cuts and bruises. It works by stopping the production of prostaglandins, hormonelike compounds that are by-products of inflammation, improving blood circulation at the injury site. 

Caveat: Because it thins the blood, talk with your doctor first about using bromelain if you also take a blood thinner.

Hidden benefit: Bromelain is a digestive enzyme (it's also used as a meat tenderizer) and so helps ease indigestion if taken with food.

Acupuncture for chronic pain
A rash of new research affirms this ancient therapy as a powerful head-to-toe pain reliever for a wide range of conditions. After as few as six sessions, people who suffered from regular tension headaches saw their symptoms disappear. Another new study found that sufferers of chronic lower-back pain who received acupuncture fared better than those receiving conventional care. Acupuncture also relieves pain and improves mobility in people with osteoarthritis of the knee — encouraging news, because the condition is considered irreversible.

Hidden benefit: You gain deeper body knowledge. Your acupuncturist will take a holistic approach to your condition, so although you may go in to treat pain in one part of your body, you may come out with a much broader understanding of how other parts contribute to that discomfort as well.

Glucosamine/chondroitin for joint pain
It works, it doesn't work... Over the years, the data on glucosamine and chondroitin, natural compounds found in healthy cartilage and available in supplement form, and their ability to reduce joint pain has been conflicted at best. The NCCAM study analyses finally bring clarity to the issue: Glucosamine is most effective in sulfate form; combined with chondroitin, it reduces joint pain in people with moderate-to-severe arthritis but is less helpful for those who have mild discomfort. Dosage is important too, the researchers have learned: A combination pill totaling 1,500 mg of glucosamine sulfate and 1,200 mg of chondroitin, taken daily, provides the most relief.

Hidden benefit: Glucosamine sulfate can stop the progression of osteoarthritis.

Cocoa for hypertension
Delectable news: Consumed daily for at least 2 weeks, cocoa (the darker the better) can reduce blood pressure among people with severe hypertension. Researchers say cocoa plant flavanols, called epicatechins, improve blood vessel function by helping artery walls relax. Most research shows the effects to be modest but still important, meaning you should use cocoa as an adjunct to any blood pressure meds, such as diuretics or ACE inhibitors, that you may be taking now. If you try it, follow the protocols used in most studies: Get the equivalent of 450 mg of flavanols, about the amount found in a cup of hot cocoa, twice a day.