There are many terms to describe spinal disorders, and healthcare practitioners often use terms differently. For example, the same spinal disc abnormality might be described as a herniated disc, pinched nerve, bulging disc, protruding disc, slipped disc, or prolapsed disc. There is no agreement in the medical field as to the precise definition of any of these terms. Often the patient hears his or her diagnosis referred to in different terms by various health professionals and wonders what the real diagnosis is.
From Spine Health site. You see why it is often hard to interpret what your specialists are telling you.
This is heading in the right direction.
diagnosis of low back pain including exam and diagnostics tests