New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- Stiff backs, frozen shoulders, niggling pain in the neck and chronic numbness in the hands are emerging as some of the most common injuries for office workers. These conditions cut across age groups, occupations and income levels in a way few conditions do. Such issues creep up slowly through repetitive strain.

Studies in India reflect the same trend, with neck and lower back pain coming up most frequently among people in desk jobs, says Dr Navita Purohit Vyas, head of pain and palliative medicine and consultant for rehabilitation medicine at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. Office furniture, modern working conditions that involve spending hours in front of a computer and sedentary lifestyles are a...