I have had back pain since last fall, as a collegiate rower, I was seen by a sports medicine orthopedist. The initial thought was a stress fracture , an MRI showed degeneration at L5-S1 and herniations L2-L3, L4-L5. I have had prescriptions and cortisone shots and physical therapy with little help. In december, part of my right thigh went numb, but only skin deep and hasn t gone away. This week during practice, the numbness of the surface became more prominent and I had weakness, like someone took the muscle out of my thigh, I m not sure what to do now.