A large segment of the population exists in a state somewhere between vital well being and frank illness. For many, “health” is simply the absence of any readily demonstrable evidence of disease. The major factor in the chronic problems suffered by many people often is built in myofascial strain and stress, a factor not sufficiently appreciated by many physicians. This paper reviews the physiologic basis for chronic myofascial syndromes and the way in which the myofascial component of the neuromuscular system manifests the “stress of life”. The author describes the approach to recognizing and evaluating these structural disorders and discusses how myofascial strain and stress patterns can be released through manipulative management.