Prevention may be your best option. Head, neck, shoulder, back, and other body aches often result from a progressive build-up of muscle tension brought on by a stressful day or week. If we can recognize muscle tension when it begins, we can prevent it f rom turning into uncomfortable aches and pains. So, during the day, ask yourself, "Am I tense anywhere?" If the answer is "yes," take a break from what you are doing. Give yourself a quick massage around the strained muscle, and then continue your acti vities -- perhaps, at a lower intensity or a slower pace. Frequent breaks, with or without pain, can be an effective way to reduce stress build-up in general. Muscle pain, fatigue, anger, and other symptoms often are our bodies' ways of telling us to "c hill out." So, turn up your hearing aid and heed your body's advice.

Alice

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