If you begin to suffer from back pain, pay close attention to your movement habits, especially any you may have recently acquired. Did you start a new job that requires more computer work than you are used to? Are you spending more time than usual on the phone? Do you talk on the cell phone a lot while driving? A lot of us cradle the phone between our head and shoulder, which is one way to create muscle pain in the neck, shoulder, and back regions. So maybe you need to invest in a headset or speakerphone for your vehicle or desktop.

By increasing body consciousness, you can often pinpoint the source of stress that is bringing you upper back muscle pain. You can even track your time for a while to see what patterns this reveals. Act as if you are your own client — a lot of us track billable time for clients, but never think of using this trick to improve our own well-being.

For instance, if you spend more than an hour sitting before your terminal without taking a break, then you are increasing your chances of developing upper back muscle pain. Try this simple trick: Stand up once an hour. Use whatever works for you — a timer, the alarm function on your PDA or cell phone, or simply the clock on your computer — then get out of your chair.

Once you are upright, place your fingertips against the small of your back, and s-l-o-w-l-y stretch backwards, only as far as is comfortable. Hold your position while you inhale and exhale once. Relax on the exhale without collapsing.

Next, drop forward slowly, bending at the waist — don’t bounce, just stretch as if touching your toes. Again, hold the stretch while inhaling and exhaling once. Return to an upright position, and repeat the whole sequence.

Here is another great tension-buster: Twist your head gently, first in one direction, and then the other. Swing your arms gently so that they follow the motion of your head, wrapping around your torso at chest level. Allow your fingertips to just touch your shoulders as you slowly twist back and forth — again, do not bounce. This is great for breaking up any cricks that form in your upper back and shoulders from holding one position for too long in your chair.

You can also use these stretches out in public wherever you are seated for a long time — for instance, at the stadium or the movies. And how about staff meetings? Restroom breaks are a good time to do a bit of stretching, too, whether at work or play.

Changing old habits is not usually easy, but if you can view this warning as a chance to improve your quality of life, and then give yourself enough reminders to notice what you are doing with your body, you are likely to succeed. One final example: one physical therapist has his patients use bright, eye-catching adhesive dot labels around their house to remind them to check their posture.