hip/leg pain

I have sharp pains in my legs and hip. When I lay my side, walk, or stand on my leg it hurts. It mostly hurts when i am just lying on my side and I feel extreme pain in my whole leg from the hip on down. How would I know what is causing the pain?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,

Was there any trauma or injury to these locations? Most often, pain in the hip and leg can be due to injury to the muscles, tendons, or nerves as a result of  a fall, a blow, or overuse. This could be sciatica, which affects the sciatic nerve causing weakness of leg muscles, pain in the legs and thighs, or both. Common symptoms of sciatica include: cramping sensation of the thigh; shooting pains from the buttock, down the leg; tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations in the legs and thighs; or a burning sensation in the thigh. Over the counter medications,  rest and  cold/warm compress over the affected site may help. There are several other conditions that may cause hip and thigh pain, and need to be considered. It would be best to see your doctor for proper evaluation. A thorough history, physical examination, and tests such as specific functions of the nerves and muscles or x-ray of the back may be done to reach a diagnosis. Take care and keep us posted.