Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu is suffering from sciatica, the Chief Executive’s Office has revealed, after he appeared to be in pain while standing for 1½ hours at the lawmakers’ swearing-in ceremony on New Year’s Day, with a cane placed nearby.
The office said on Thursday that Lee was suffering from sciatica, but stopped short of revealing details of the city’s leader’s health condition.
Sciatica is a condition that causes pain along the sciatic nerve, which is the largest in the body, starting in the lower back and running down the back of the legs. Pressure on this nerve can cause severe, sometimes debilitating pain down the back of the leg and up into the pelvis and buttocks.
Lee oversaw the swearing-in of all 90 newly elected lawmakers on Thursday morning and appeared unwell during the 1½-hour ceremony, occasionally unable to stand fully upright and needing support from a side table. A walking cane was placed beside him.
Lee did not use the cane when entering or leaving the Legislative Council chamber and walked normally during the subsequent photo-taking session.
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