As long as I go to the hut tub at my gym everyday, I feel fine. I usually soak for 10 minutes or so after every workout (even on cardio-only days) and I am pretty much at the gym everyday at least for 30 minutes...
But, when I skip a day- just one day of soaking in the hut tub- I get neck and back tension that is horrible. I also suffer from headaches when I do not get my relaxation in...
Also, perhaps invest in hot pad or take a nice soak in the the tub when you get home, and get a good massage to help your body heal. If you can't afford frequent professional massages, look to see if there are any massage schools near you. Students are always looking for bodies and will give you decent body work for free while they are in school.
Do you work at a PC during the day? Might be worth getting an ergonomic assessment of your workstation, if your company offers that. I used to get a very sore neck and shoulders when I sat at a desk, but repositioning my monitor, keyboard, adjusting chair height etc helped.
The other thing I discovered - and I don't know if this applies to you or not - is that my shoulder/upper back muscles were incredibly weak. My trainer started working on these and it has started to make a big difference.
Recognizing bad posture and correcting it is key. Lots of people suffer from upper back tension, the upper traps in particular. If you find that your tension is coming from there I would make a bet that your lower traps are being overstretched and weakend. If you go on youtube and type in lower trapezius exercise you will find a few good ones. Balancing out your musculature is extremely important and will reduce your tension. There are several reasons why this could be happening to you and it is hard to tell without haveing you infront of me.
