Donna was late getting home because her boss insisted that she finish typing all the letters he had dictated after being out of town for five days. Her 16-year-old daughter was in the middle of a raging battle with her stepfather. Dinner had not been started, and the den was a disaster area, littered with pop cans and empty bags of chips. As she walked in, her daughter stomped out, yelling something about "not being fair." By the time Donna had cooked and cleaned up the kitchen and the mess, she was exhausted. In addition to the terrible day, she had a headache and her back hurt!

Muscles can do only one thing well, and that is contract. Emotional stress contributes to back and neck pain because muscles react quickly to their environment. You may be using excellent body mechanics, but stress may be controlling your life and causing you discomfort. Progressive relaxation exercises may help when things get tense.