Chiropractic can help treat back and neck ache caused by incorrect posture but total recovery depends on the patient

With more and more of us sitting in front of computers for up to eight hours a day, it's hardly surprising that the most frequent reasons for consulting a doctor include tense muscles, neck and back pain and headaches.

Dr Montanat Rojjanasriratt, the managing director of Chiro Fit Chiropractic, says that most of us tend to choose postures that make us comfortable but are awkward. That can lead to permanent structural damage as well as chronic pain.

"Most office people coming to the clinic complain of neck and back pain. The cause is mainly from staying in the same posture for too long and from having a desk and computer layout that's ergonomically incorrect," he says

And with most of us choosing a comfortable but bad posture, we are inadvertently overloading our joints and muscles. Though we have some natural resistance, that will weaken over the years unless we regularly - and correctly - exercise.

"After the age of 30, resistance decreases by two per cent every year, and the less we exercise, the bigger the decrease," he says. "The more we use technology, the lazier we become."

He adds that people only go to see a doctor when the pain becomes unbearable rather than consulting at the first twinge. And who we see is also important. An orthopaedist will offer more help than a generalist and a chiropractor, while not yet well known, can also be of enormous benefit.

Chiropractic focuses on brining misshapen spinal bones back as much as possible to their normal condition through physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic exercise. But, warns Montanat, treatment will not heal all the symptoms.

"Eighty per cent falls to the patient. After we adjust the problem, the rest is up to you. You have to keep the right posture in your daily life," he says.