Mike Tyson reveals the condition he suffers with after fans were concerned for his health

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has finally explained why he has been spotted getting around in a wheelchair.

Fans grew worried over Tyson's health last month when pictures emerged of him at an airport on four wheels.

Other photos taken recently of the boxing legend showed him using a walking stick to help him move around.

Tyson sat down with Newsmax to explain the condition he has and how it can sometimes become painful to even speak.

"I have sciatica every now and then, it flares up. When it flares up, I can’t even talk," he said.

"Thank God it’s the only health problem I have. I’m splendid now."

The boxer told the American news channel that he and his family are 'truly blessed' and that they are 'all very grateful for whatever we have'.

Sciatica is a common condition that typically affects people who have injured their backs before and are aged between 30 and 50 years old.

It manifests in the body as a shooting pain in the sciatic nerve, which can run from the lower back all the way down the feet.

UFC fighters Cain Velasquez and Anderson Silva also suffer from the condition.

Treatments for the illness are typically pain medication and physiotherapy and is a relatively short-term issue with medical treatment.

Despite the treatable nature of his nerve issue, he has previously told listeners of his Hotboxin' With Mike Tyson podcast that he fears he does not have much longer to live. 

"We’re all gonna die one day of course. Then, when I look in the mirror, I see those little spots on my face," he said. 

"I say, 'Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon'."

In the same podcast he said all the money in the world won't stop you from the regular processes of life or the tragic circumstances that can affect all of us.

"When you put money in your bank and you get a check every week and you can live for the rest of your life, is that security?" he questioned.

"That means you won’t catch a disease, you can’t get hit by a car? You can’t jump off a bridge. I don’t know. Is that security? Can money secure you from that?"

Iron Mike remains the youngest fighter to ever win a world heavyweight title, having beaten 33-year-old Trevor Berbick in 1986, when he was just 20-years-old.

He retired from boxing in 2005 and now sells an array of cannabis products through his company Tyson Ranch.

Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy.

Topics: Mike Tyson, News, Sport, US News, Celebrity

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist