Lower back also pain in the left calf of leg one dr says physical therapy to strenght lower back. my family dr says i need the injection in my back therapy wont take the pain away i have degerant arthrsis. the pain in my left calf of the leg is very pain

Back : Back pain shooting down the left leg is called sciatica. Sciatica results when a disk, bone spur or stenosis pinches the sciatic nerve as it leaves the back and goes into the leg. Treatment for sciatica include rest, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, steroid injections and surgery. Initial treatment is usually rest, anti-inflammatories followed by physical therapy. People who do not respond may go onto steroid injections and/or surgery. Sometimes patients skip physical therapy if the pain is severely aggregated by movement. This maybe why one doctor is recommending steroid injection first. Today there are minimally invasive options for disk surgery. Please see my health guide on lumbar disk disease and sciatica. Good luck!