HONOLULU -- Nearly half the service members returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from back problems. It is the most common injury of war veterans, but the military is having a hard time keeping up with their injuries.

One chiropractic doctor is doing her part.

Ground forces in Iraq can carry about 100 pounds of body armor and other gear on their backs. Helicopter crews have at least 75 pounds worth of equipment.

So, even young veterans in their 20s or early 30s have complaints more often heard from old people.

"I started throwing my back out," Capt. Anne McClain said.

"I definitely have a lot of back pain, lower back especially, and neck pain, was the biggest one I noticed," Capt. Sean Baxter said.

Chiropractor Micaire Baxter's husband is an Army helicopter pilot stationed at Wheeler Army Airfield who has done two tours in Iraq. She said there are dangers if spinal problems go untreated for a long time.

"That can eventually lead to things like arthritis, degeneration of the spine, and long-term that can affect the function of the immune system," Baxter said.

Helicopter pilot Rob Harris showed KITV the aviator hunch -- how his back got out of whack while flying missions five or six days a week in Iraq.

Whether they were slouching in helicopters or scrunching into armored personnel carriers, the result is the same.

"It ultimately comes down to bad posture, all that extra weight," Chief Warrant Officer Matt Heffelfinger said.

The soldiers said there is a two- to three-month wait for chiropractic visits at Schofield Barracks.

"The doctor-to-patient ratio is way out of whack. So, they're having a hard time getting the care that they need in a timely fashion," Baxter said.

Baxter of Global Health Chiropractic is offering free treatment to veterans who returned from Iraq within the last year. She can be reached at 521-9686 or at globalhealthchiro@yahoo.com.