Jim and Alicia: What both of you are suffering from has a similar answer. As you might guess, it is impossible to accurately diagnose and treat individuals over the Internet, phone, or through the pages of a magazine. However, my answer to both of you is similar and may help each of you. Most people at some point in their life have some degree of back and/or neck pain. Back and neck pain together are actually the greatest cause of work time loss or absenteeism. There are many different causes of chronic neck or back pain, but many causes involve some form of chronic degenerative changes. We are all aging and our past injuries, experiences, work habits, and current medical conditions all impact the aging process of our bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. Daily pain that does not respond to rest and short-term over-the-counter pain medications should be investigated with a complete history and physical exam coupled with appropriate x-rays and other tests. Many chronic aches and pains can be helped with physical therapy, chiropractic care and/or nonprescription pain medications under physician supervision. Other modalities such as massage, acupuncture, and an ergonomic assessment of your work space may also be helpful. A caring integrative approach to any therapy is essential to long-term success in treating chronic pain.