Shape up, feel better

Like many working people, computer specialists, goldsmiths and lorry drivers are prime candidates for muscle tension.

At risk is anyone who has to stay concentrated for hours at a time or who puts uneven strain on the body.

A sports injury, an age-related overuse injury or a static defect such as a lordotic curved back or planovalgus foot can also lead to a stiff neck or back pain, noted Nils Graf Stenbock-Fermor, chairman of the German Orthopaedic Association. Since muscle tension is always merely a symptom, he said, it is important for the sufferer to identify the cause.