It’s clear from the USOS stress report story that stress is part of our daily lives. But it’s possible to get too much of a good thing when we experience that “fight-or-flight,” stressed-to-the-max feeling every day, or even several times a day. That’s considered chronic stress, and can throw the body out of balance.

How Chronic Stress Hurts Your Body and Overall Health

Chronic stress disturbs the natural balance of hormones in your body, according to research published in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. When you’re experiencing stress, the hypothalamus signals the nervous system and pituitary gland to produce epinephrine and cortisol, also called the “stress hormones.” Overproducing these hormones can have negative health consequences. Too much cortisol in the body decreases the body’s sensitivity to the hormone, which then impairs the body’s ability to regulate the its inflammatory response. Overtime, chronic stress can weaken the immune system, leaving you more susceptible to viruses and infections.

Stress Plays a Role in Most Primary Care Visits

Research published in January 2013 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine estimated that 60 to 80 percent of primary care doctor visits are related to stress. “Stress isn’t necessarily the cause for the disorder, but it can certainly worsen many disorders,” says Philip Barr, MD, integrative medicine physician at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Some of the most common conditions that be exacerbated by stress include:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)HeadachesInsomniaDepression and AnxietyAsthmaLow back and neck pain

Talk to Your Doctor Before You Self-Heal or Self-Treat

It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about a treatment plan when you’re concerned about symptoms.

There are many natural complementary approaches that have been proven to ease stress-related symptoms that don’t involve a medical procedure or a prescription. Here we highlight seven natural remedies that are backed by scientific evidence.

1. Massage

Many people mistakenly believe that a massage is simply a splurge when you feel like you need some extra pampering. But massage can improve your emotional state by reducing stress hormones and increasing feel-good brain chemicals, like serotonin. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has shown it can also have a positive effect on people experiencing depression. Massage can also help with certain kinds of pain. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared massage with medication in relieving chronic low back pain. After 10 weeks of weekly hour-long massages, 40 percent of the massage group reported their pain was better or gone compared with just 4 percent of the group treated with anti-inflammatory meds.

2. Mediterranean Diet

A Mediterranean diet, defined as a diet that emphasizes plant-based eating with lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats while limiting red meat, sugar, and dairy, can help reduce inflammation in your body. Inflammation can affect cognition, heart function, and even blood pressure, says Adam Rindfleisch, MD, medical director of integrative health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. A study published in October 2017 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery made headlines when researchers found that a Mediterranean diet reduced symptoms of GERD just as well as proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), the common drug treatment for heartburn related to acid reflux. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet has been shown to help people reduce symptoms of IBS as well, in research published in November 2016 in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology and Therapeutics. According to the study, carbohydrates and fatty foods were identified as triggering IBS symptoms.

3. Meditation and MBSR

Meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction are both ways to use your mind and your breathing to increase calmness and promote relaxation. There are many books, phone apps, and classes (both remote and in-person) that can teach the basics of these time-honored techniques. Studies have shown that meditation can help with symptoms of menopause, including sleep and mood disturbances as well as muscle and joint pain. It can also be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to findings published in 2014 in the journal Advancements in Mind Body Medicine. MBSR can be used by people with asthma and has been shown to have clinically significant effects on stress reduction and quality of life, although not in regard to lung function, according to research published in September 2012 in the journal Thorax. Research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology has also suggested that mindfulness can reduce the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in women.

4. Yoga

Yoga is a mind and body practice that is grounded in ancient Indian philosophy. It’s one of the more popular complementary health practices, and it’s practiced everywhere from preschools to senior centers around the country. Yoga can help reduce overall stress, as well as improve anxiety, depression, and insomnia. A study published in July 2017 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine showed that yoga helped people with chronic low-back pain by decreasing pain, improving mobility, and reducing depression. As with any complementary practice, you should check with your doctor before beginning a yoga practice, particularly if you are interested in hot yoga, which involves exercising in a heated room. The stress relief yoga offers can aid with the symptoms and worsening of GERD, according to research published in 2013 in The International Journal of Yoga. Stress has been linked to increase gastric acid secretion, which is a risk factor for peptic ulcers. It’s been theorized that yoga may alleviate GERD via the autonomic nervous system by reducing peristaltic contractions, which can interfere with digestion.

5. Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care focuses on the body’s structure, specifically the spine and its function. A national survey on perceived benefit of complementary and alternative medicine for back pain suggests that this can be useful in relieving back pain as well as headaches. “These manipulations are not necessarily huge movements that ‘pop’ everything; joint mobilization seems to be helpful in a lot of cases,” says Dr. Rindfleisch, adding that these sorts of approaches to pain should be considered as they are a safer alternative to treating pain than opioids.

6. Acupuncture

In acupuncture, practitioners stimulate specific points on the body, usually by inserting thin needles through the skin. There is evidence that acupuncture can be beneficial in reducing back and neck pain, according to Rindfleisch. Research also suggests that it can help with tension headaches and the prevention of migraines; a review published in June 2016 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that a course of acupuncture, consisting of at least six treatment sessions, can be a valuable option for people with migraine. “Acupuncture tends to be incredibly safe,” says Rindfleisch, adding that there is a lot of debate in the medical community about how acupuncture works. “My attitude is, if it’s safe and it works for some people, why not consider it?”