For office workers, the neck and waist are the areas most likely to have problems, so it is important to exercise in a way that helps to relieve such discomfort and damage, experts say.

"Swimming and kite flying are the most advisable exercises for people who work for a long time at a desk," says Qi Qiang, a senior orthopedist with Peking University Third Hospital.

The cervical spine is backward "C" shaped, with a complicated system of ligaments, tendons and muscles that are attached with nerves to support the head and its movement.