Perhaps I missed it, but I didn't see anyone answer your question as to what a slipped disc is, so I'll give it a shot.
*Edit - smacks forehead - just found DarienA's post. . . directly below yours... sigh. I'm going to bed*
<disclaimer - I am not in the medical profession, so please research my information before making decisions on it>
What I understand ruptured or slipped discs to be are these...
Your back is make up of several bones, each about the width of your hand, arranged vertically atop one another. Between each of these bones is a tough piece of tissue referred to as the "disc" From what I understand, it has the texture of a gristly pencil eraser (Don't ask, this is how it was explained to me) and exists to pad the bones from grinding against each other too hard. The bones themselves have a pencil sized opening through each of them in which your spinal nerves reside.
Basically, when strain on your back is severe, frequently due to heavy / improper lifting, or a torsional strain on your back, the discs may either be compacted to such an extent that they split down the side (Think squashing an orange with a book) or they slide slightly out of position.
In either case, pieces of these discs may suddenly be out of place, and therefore pushing on or contacting the nerves in your back, which causes the inflammation and the pain.
Surgery is frequently used to correct this problem, because there is no effective way of sliding the discs back into place. So instead, they cut away the excess pieces, and suggest a regimin of anti-inflammatories, pain killers, and physical therapy to not only help the discs regrow the best they can, but also to give the best possible assurance that they do not again split or slide out of alignment.
Coincidentally these discs are also the cause of you being two inches taller when you wake up than when you go to bed.
As far as short term, follow doctors orders. Ibuprofen may help you a great deal, suggesting 400 - 600mg every four to six hours. Ibuprofen is not actually a pain releaver, but an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. This will cut down on the inflammation of the nerves in your back from the disc irritation, and therefore cut the amount of damage being done.
Additionally, you need to take it extremely easy on your back if there is a chance of back injury, because it can very easily be compounded. Be wary of lifting things, over stretching / straining your back, or doing anything that may give a sudden jerk to your head, shoulders, arms, or hips.
Lastly, there is a form of meditation that may help you. Although I forget the name, I can describe it for you. What it is is a standing balance meditation. Standing, imagine a rod between your ears, and running from your forehead through the back of your head. These two rods will intesect at the balance point of the skull. Move your head through the range of motion until you feel it balance at the top of your neck. Once you achieve this, work down through your shoulders vertically towards your heels. At each step, move your body until it is in vertical balance with what's below it, without needing muscle strain to keep you standing. When you complete this exercise, you will be standing in a posture of least strain on your body. The more you can maintain this posture, the better it will be on your back.
The reason your doctor has suggested an MRI (or Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is that it will give him or her a highly detailed image of your back. The device is a body sized tube that you lay in, similar to a CAT scan I believe. It is entirely painless, but somewhat noisy. It works through a process of magnetics and radio resonance to build a 3D image of the body part under study. They will tell you to leave anything affected by magnetism off before beginning the test. (piercings, keys, bank cards, etc... ) You do NOT want anything metal near you during the test. (MRI machines are capable of sucking a fully loaded pallet jack into their bore *evil grin* )
I hope this information is helpful, but before you follow it consult a medical professional. Although I have a family full of back problems, I am in no way an expert.
~Darias~
