Understanding how the spine works and how discs break down is a vital part of the recovery process. If you don't understand how you got into trouble, it's very difficult to get out of it.

The discs have a very fragile metabolism and they act a little bit like shock absorbers. When you wake up you are ~2cm taller than you will be at the end of the day. Throughout the day you lose fluid from your spine because you push, pull, sit, lift etc. This is normal. When you go to sleep and your muscles relax, if you've moved well throughout the day your discs should rehydrate and you'll wake up a little taller again.

During the first 2 hours of sitting you lose 50% of that daily fluid loss. In other words, you lose what amounts to about 1cm of height within the first two hours of sitting so you essentially end up spending more of your day with less shock absorption padding between each level in your spine. This is why it's important to get up and move regularly throughout the day and stretch regularly.

Stiffness means that an area within your spine is not moving well. When this happens the disc is not getting the stimulation it needs to go through its normal metabolic process and, if this continues for long enough, the disc starts to break down. Watch this video to learn more.