I have had lower back pain which goes down my hip and right leg. the pain reaches down to my calf. what could be causing it? muscle relaxers didn't work.

? Sciatic nerve: Please see your physician or orthopedic surgeon to be evaluated for possible sciatica. If your sciatic nerve is inflammed, the medical provider can evaluate for cause to determine what can be done to improve it. Take care.

Sciatica: True sciatica is leg pain that shoots from back, down the leg past the knee. This mimics the path of the sciatic nerve, thus it's name. Mri of the spine or pelvis would serve to differentiate in most cases if exam and history is not clear. Young patients more likely to have herniated disc. Older patients, pressure from arthritic spurs. All can be treated non-surgically if not getting worse.

Cause of sciatica: Sciatica is a pain pattern caused by many different mechanisms.

Could be disc: Agree with dr badgley that your description is of sciatica. Real question to be answered is whether a nerve root in lower back is compressed by a protruded or ruptured disc, or if a more peripheral pain generator such as sacro-iliac dysfnctn or piriformis syndrome may be the cause. Would not expect muscle relaxer to help here. You need to uncover causation, and treat the pain generator itself.