Can you help me with leg pain?

About 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with four herniated discs of varying severity in my low back. Obviously, much time has ped between the diagnosis and present day, and I have not revisited much for checkups because I don't currently have health insurance. My back is better than it used to be, but I've been having problems with my leg muscles. My legs are often very tense and ache in many areas. I'm uming it's because my body has adjusted to the disc issues and alters the way it utilizes the muscles. I have noticed my posture is not as good anymore. Anyway, many times I will have quite a bit of pain in my upper front thighs and occasionally down the sides of my thighs closer to the hip bones. Strangely enough, if I punch the front of my legs a few times it actually relieves the pain quite a bit. It looks weird though! What muscle is this in specific and what can I do about this problem? Thanks.