Mike Tyson has revealed he is suffering from a rare health condition named Sciatica after photos emerged showing the former heavyweight champion of the world in a wheelchair. <br /><br />Concerns for the health of Tyson were heightened last month when photos from an airport showed him wheelchair-bound while also clutching a walking stick. <br /><br />However, Tyson sought to clarify speculation surrounding his health in an interview with Newsmax TV this month. <br /><br /><br />'I have sciatica every now and then, it flares up. When it flares up, I can’t even talk! Thank God it’s the only health problem I have. I’m splendid now,' he said. <br /><br />'Everybody in my house is truly blessed and we’re all very grateful for whatever we have.'<br /><br />The condition impacts nerve endings in the body with Tyson appearing to be suffering with complications related to his back. <br /><br />Iron Mike, as he was known, was forced to retire from the ring in 2005 owing to back problems.<br /><br />There have long been concerns for Tyson's health with the American known to have lived life to its fullest across his 56 years.<br /><br />Drug problems, combined with his never-say-die attitude within the ring that saw him go toe-to-toe with some of the most notable heavyweights of his era, have left many fearing for the long-term health of the boxing great.<br />Tyson himself inferred on his own Hotboxin' podcast that he did not believe he had long left to live. <br /><br />'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. <br /><br />'I say, "Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon."'<br /><br />Sciatica is where the sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back to your feet, is irritated or compressed. It usually gets better in 4 to 6 weeks but can last longer.
