Pain
Common symptom is pain in the back.The intensity of pain is maximum at the time of sprain and is described as stabbing in the back.It is aggrevated by coughing and sneezing. The pain of prolapsed disc is felt in the center and the pain of sprain is felt by the side away from midline.It usually migrates to one leg from the back of the thigh and is known as sciatica or sciatic pain.When the pain has lasted several years and has become chronic, usually, the backpain becomes mild and one complains of only pain in the leg. The intensity of the acute pain starts receding after three days. Turning to one side in bed is painful.Forward bending impossible.

Stiffness
Stiffness is felt in the back by next day.Back feels like a log of wood.It is worse in the morning and the back eases out by evening.It lasts for about two weeks.

Neurogenic claudication
When the prolapsed disc is large and pressure is produced on nerve roots on both sides, neurogenic claudication is felt in both legs.After walking for a while both legs start becoming heavy.Cramps start in both calf muscles.Walking become difficult to impossible and at times there is numbness felt in both feet.Patient has to sit down for a while and then proceed to walk again.

Associated symptoms
Besides the main symptoms described above the patient can also feel symptoms like shooting pain in the buttocks, numbness in the legs and feet, weakness in the great toe or ankle joint,weakness in the muscles of thigh and sudden giving way at the knee joint with tendency to fall down.
When there is difficulty in passing urine it is a more sinister symptom and needs immediate attention of a specialist.