<human>: my mother is 70 years old and had backache for 30 years , in last few days she has severe backache and she is unable to walk , she cant lift her feet , pain is radiating to groins . what can be the cause ? is this a case of nerve compression or some joint problem or what , she is taking brufen tablets so no pain while at rest but cant walk coz of pain
<bot>: Hi, Thank you for posting your query. There are two likely causes for your mothers symptoms: 1. Arthritis of hip joints- it is common in older people. X-ray of the hips can help in diagnosing this condition. 2. Lumbar disc disease witChatDoctorpression of the nerves at back-this can lead to pain and weakness of legs.  An additional condition to exclude is osteoporosis- weakness of bones-which is again common in old age. An evaluation by a neurologist/orthopedic could be useful in sorting the problem out and planning the treatment. Best wishes, Chat Doctor. 