Weather girl

Ms Bertha Cheung (above) was nicknamed “weather station” by a friend, thanks to an ankle she fractured at the age of 12.

“After that injury, during my teens, my ankle would always ache before it rained. My friend would joke that it could be a weather station," she said.

The young figure skater had fractured her ankle while training for her certification exams.

It happened as she was practising air jumps at an ice skating rink.

“I miscalculated my steps and landed at an awkward angle. I felt my right ankle twisting as I fell," said Ms Cheung, 31, now a communications manager.

“The pain was excruciating. I knew that something was definitely wrong," she said.
 
So intense was the pain that she could not help herself up and had to be carried off the rink by her coach.

Even then, her agony did not stop.

When her coach and teammates tried to pry off her skates, she had to yell for them to stop.

“This was because my foot was too painful and swollen," she said.

Eventually, they had to cut open her skates with a pair of pliers.

What greeted them was not a pretty sight.

“My right foot looked like a pig's trotter. Even the toes were fat – they looked like cocktail sausages," she said.

She was whisked off to the hospital, where the doctor told her that she had a slight fracture, which did not require surgery.

Her right foot was put in a cast for three weeks and she had to rely on crutches to get around.

When the cast was removed, she had to wear an ankle brace for another three weeks.

“I also had some physiotherapy, but it was more educational than anything else," she said.

In addition to teaching her basic rehabilitation exercises, her physiotherapist advised her not to jump or skate yet.

She was also excused from Physical Education classes for six months.

Her ankle eventually healed but presented problems well into her teenage years.

Thankfully, the aches have since diminished.

Still, she chooses to play it safe now when it comes to physical activities.

Although she still skates recreationally, she has changed her choice of sports to wakeboarding.

“I liked skating but decided to give it up and stop learning airborne manoeuvres," she said.

“I just can't imagine going through the pain again.”

FOR YOUR FEET’S SAKE

Footwear is important when it comes to maintaining ankle health. Here are some recommendations:

■ Wear shoes with laces and a firm heel counter, if you do not have any ankle conditions.

“Such shoes enhance ankle stability,” said Mr Jasper Tong, the head of Singapore General Hospital’s podiatry department.

■ Wear shoes that are right for the sport so that they provide the necessary support.

Dr Tan Ken Jin , an associate consultant in the division of orthopaedic sports medicine at National University Hospital, said: “If you are playing basketball, don’t use running shoes.”

■ Wear cushioned shoes with soft, conformable arch supports if you have high foot arches.

“People with high-arched feet are more prone to ankle instability and ankle sprains,” said Mr Tong.

■ Wear ankle-high boots with flat, cushioned soles if you experience recurrent ankle sprains.

“Alternatively, you could wear ankle guards with running shoes,” said Mr Tong.

■ Wear heels that are less than 2.5cm in height.

“Ladies' heels more than 2.5cm high promote ankle instability. If you suspect that your ankle sprains are caused by your heels, reduce their height.