If youāve been living with back pain, youāve likely come across terms like āpinched nerveā, ābulging discā, and āslipped discā. These terms are often used interchangeably in reference to herniated discs and bulging discs, and even āherniatedā and ābulgingā are commonly used interchangeably. While these are all terms that are used to describe spinal disc issues and spine pain, they mean different things, and thereās a difference between bulging and herniated discs. But how can you tell what this difference is?