Clay Walker is battling the new health challenges of MS after 30 years with the disease

After three years of living with multiple sclerosis, country music star Clay Walker says his life has taken a turn.

“Ngeke ibe Ndumo oene sizungu” says 2025 has tested his strength more than ever as he faces a wave of new challenges in the disease he has been fighting since he was diagnosed with it in 1996.

“[I’m] definitely going through a bad patch now, “Walker, 56, was introduced to people in the interview.” At the beginning of the year, I noticed that I had a lot of difficulty with balance and walking, and it started to worry me. I knew I had to do something. “

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Walker underwent surgery in March to undergo a baclofen pump – a device that delivers an anti-inflammatory drug directly into the spinal fluid to help with muscle tone and stiffness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

“The surgery gave me a lot of hope,” she said. “But so far, you know, it’s not good. It hasn’t done what I want. Balance has been an issue lately.”

Doctors believed that physical therapy would ‘hit it right,’ however recovery was slower than he had hoped.

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“Am I walking perfect? ​​No. Am I walking better? Absolutely,” she said. “I got on the treadmill the other day without a harness holding me as I started to fall, and I walked for five minutes. That goes on.”

Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996 and spent decades defying his wishes. This disease damages the protective covering around the nerves in the central nervous system, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, stiffness, changes in vision and problems with movement.

Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Universal Music Group)

When Walker was first diagnosed with MS, doctors gave him a poor prognosis.

“I was told that I wouldn’t live very long and that I would be in a wheelchair and that I would have died quickly because of the number of lesions on my spine and brain,” she recalled.

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Walker defied those odds – and now, nearly three decades later, he’s still working, still writing and still fighting.

“We turned everything upside down,” he said. “We’ve won this war, you know? We got that to celebrate.”

In 2026, Walker will reach the milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

In 2026, Walker will reach the milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years.

He admitted that fans have seen the effects of his condition up close during live shows – something he says has never been easy for him to accept.

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“Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to quit on stage? Yes, it does,” she said. “But my team meets me, and they know whether I’m fighting or not looking. Everything needs to be looked at.’

This Sunday, Walker will check out the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time – a landmark that carries more weight given its tour.

Despite his physical injuries, Walker’s passion for performing keeps him going.

Walker will visit the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time on November 9. (Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images)

“My happiness comes from being on stage,” she said. “I mean, there’s an incredible rush of energy and endorphins. I don’t think there’s a drug that’s more powerful. It’s crazy.”

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