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Clay Walker<\/a>\u00a0has been battling multiple sclerosis (MS) since 1996, and he’s had ups and downs with the disease over the years.<\/p>\n In 2925, there were definitely some “down” moments on that journey. This summer, he canceled a show<\/a>\u00a0due to side effects from a medical procedure he underwent to help his MS symptoms.<\/p>\n He’s also been performing seated<\/a> more frequently, and sometimes needs assistance walking off stage.<\/p>\n In a new interview with\u00a0People<\/em><\/a>, Walker acknowledges that he’s “definitely going through a rough patch right now.”<\/p>\n “Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to get offstage? Yes it does,” he admits.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Clay Walker’s Live Shows Look Quite a Bit Different These Days<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n But Walker also emphasizes that his band has adapted to his health issues, and work seamlessly to be his safety net onstage.<\/p>\n “They know if I’m struggling or not. All it takes is a glance,” the singer continues. “They are always there, especially my bass player Curt Walsh. I’m like, ‘Dude, if you see me falling, fall in front of me so I don’t get hurt.'”<\/p>\n In March, Walker decided to undergo surgery to implant a baclofen pump device, which delivers a muscle relaxant directly to the spinal fluid. That medicine is supposed to reduce muscle stiffness, known as spasticity.<\/p>\n But he says recovery hasn’t been as smooth as he thought it might be.<\/p>\n “The surgery gave me a lot of hope, but so far, you know, it’s not great,” he notes. “It hasn’t done what I wanted it to. Balance has been an issue lately.”<\/p>\n He says he’s in physical therapy to help “dial it in properly,” and he’s making progress.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Randy Travis + Clay Walker Had a Wheelchair Race!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “Am I walking perfectly? No. Am I walking better? Absolutely,” Walker continues. “I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep me from falling, and I walked five minutes.”<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Country Singers With Chronic Health Conditions<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n He also says he feels he’s “started to turn the corner” away from this most recent round of flare-ups and side effects.<\/p>\n In his newest interview, Walker says he had a “horrific” prognosis when he was first diagnosed.<\/p>\n Read More<\/em>: Best ’90s Country Songs For Your Old-School Playlist<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “I was told that I wouldn’t be around very long and that I’d be in a wheelchair and that I would be dead pretty quickly because of the amount of lesions I had on my spinal cord and brainstem and brain,” he recalls.<\/p>\n But over the years, he’s beat the odds — and had a remarkable country music career in the process.<\/p>\n “We turned everything upside down,” Walker says. “We already won the battle, you know? We’ve got that to celebrate.”<\/p>\n Walker says he’s adamant about not letting his MS keep him from the stage. His tour calendar<\/a>\u00a0shows a batch of dates already booked for next year.<\/p>\n “I’m not giving up,” says the singer, who emphasizes that his greatest “joy” comes from getting onstage.<\/p>\n “I’m like a pit bull,” he continues. “You can swing me off a cliff and I ain’t letting go.”<\/p>\n Carly Pearce, Mark Chesnutt and Colt Ford have all made headlines recently for serious medical problems, but they’re not the only country stars living with chronic illness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhy is Clay Walker Going Through a “Rough Patch” With MS Right Now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Clay Walker’s Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Journey<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Will Clay Walker’s Health Challenges Keep Him Off the Road in 2026?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
14 Country Stars Who Are Living With Serious Health Conditions<\/h2>\n