He had back problems while he was with the Astros but said he hasn't experienced this kind of pain before.
"The symptoms I had in the past have always been around my hip," Oswalt said. "And for the last two, three weeks, it's gotten lower and lower down toward my knee. I've always heard when it gets to your foot, it's not too good."
An MRI Friday showed Oswalt has mild bulging of a disk in his lower back, team physician Michael Ciccotti said. Ciccotti said rest, medication, and exercise could enable Oswalt to possibly pitch again. Oswalt also may consider a series of injections, but no definite plan will be put in place until Oswalt gets a second opinion from a physician in Dallas who has treated him in the past.
The good news for Oswalt is there is no herniated disk.
"Roy has had some mild lumbar spine inflammation in the past, and he was treated very well by the doctors in Houston for that with an exercise program," Ciccotti said. "This year, over the last month or so, he's had some increased symptoms, some slightly different symptoms than he's had in the past. The MRI shows that he has some very mild bulging of the disk . . .. He does not have a disk herniation."
Ciccotti said Oswalt also has thickening of a joint capsule around the spine, which puts pressure on nerves that go down through the leg. He could receive injections around the thickened capsule, or an epidural, which is closer to the nerves.
"I think the biggest thing right now is deciding what shot to take," Oswalt said.
He won't decide on his approach until he visits orthopedic surgeon Andrew Dossett in Dallas, probably this week.
"Roy will get a second opinion from Drew and we'll talk to Drew, then sit down and decide what's best for Roy," Ciccotti said.
