New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- Earlier this year, Puja M., 35, a marketing professional, developed a back problem so severe that she was bedridden for five months. She had been spending at least 10 hours a day in front of her office laptop. "I thought it was just a spasm. But years of working on a laptop and poor posture had caused my spine to become unnaturally straight," says the Delhi resident. After months of bed rest and excruciating physiotherapy, which was not covered by her medical insurance, she is now able to move again and has returned to work.

In Mumbai, Jayesh Kumar, 33, had trouble working for a week last month because of debilitating neck pain. "The spasm was so severe that I even had trouble lying down," recalls the IT professional...