For desk-bound workers, a chiropractor can be a friend in need.

Anyone who sits at a desk working, studying or using a computer has probably had what
some chiropractors affectionately call "student pain syndrome." Sitting in any position for a
prolonged period can cause neck, middle back or lower back pain. Most people suffer
through it and wait for the pain to disappear, which it eventually will -- that is, until the
next time. To understand how these aches and pains are treated, it's important to know what's
actually happening.

When people sit for prolonged periods -- whether they are working at a desk, driving a
cab or flying a jet -- they strain muscles, ligaments and joints in their spine. Lack of
strength in the spine's stabilizing muscles, combined with bad posture, usually contributes
to the problem. Most people don't strengthen the proper muscles in their daily workouts,
and many who work don't make time to exercise at all. The result is that spinal joints and
ligaments take the majority of the force being put on the spine.

Just like with sprained ankles, the irritated joints in the spine then swell. The surrounding
muscles sense there's an injury and contract to protect the area from further damage.
Now there are two problems: tight muscles and strained joints.

If the problem goes untreated and the area is left to rest, the pain will eventually go away.
But the injury hasn't healed. When inflammation settles it becomes scar tissue. Scar tissue
can restrict joint motion and reduce blood flow to the area.

In treating the problem, chiropractors aim to reduce pain, increase the joints' range of
motion and strengthen the spine's stabilizing muscles. They use chiropractic adjustments,
which release pain-killing endorphins, return misaligned joints' natural mobility and spur
the body to heal naturally.

When the body has healed enough, chiropractors may recommend exercises and proper
stretches. Eventually, patients should stretch every day, perhaps using stretching as an
excuse to take a break from work.