A+ Experience: An Unexpected Shoulder Injury While Riding the Waves in Thailand
Thailand is a popular travel destination for many reasons among locals, tourists, and expats. This country in Southeast Asia is often associated with its rich culture, street markets, breathtaking temples, and pristine beaches.
Over the last 20 years, many surf camps in Thailand have emerged. With almost 2000km of stunning coastline, this country offers amazing surfing conditions all-year-round. It is now becoming a go-to destination to escape the crowds in their busy cities, enjoy the friendly vibes of the locals, and experience riding the waves of their famous beaches.
Phuket is the surfing epicenter of Thailand and the home to a number of annual surfing contests. Their beaches generally get small waves that do not get any higher than 10ft which makes it a perfect surfing spot for beginner surfers and long boarders.
However, all water-based sports come with their own set of risks. While surfing is fun, being caught up in the waves or riptides could lead someone to seek immediate medical attention.
Common surfing injuries
Whether you are a novice or a surfing expert, accidents can still happen out there in the waters. It is always better to be prepared and understand the risks before trying out this fun water activity. Here are the common surfing injuries:
- Laceration of the feet and hands – This is a common injury among surfers because the surfboard’s fin has a very sharp edge that can easily cause a deep cut on the feet and hands. Surfers also need to watch out for sharp coral reefs underneath the ocean. Just one small slice from it can cause stitches and even infection.
- Eye injury – Although this is a common surfing injury, it can be serious in some cases. The surfboard tip can result in permanent eye damage, and in rare cases, loss of vision. One tip is to get a soft tip nose guard to protect the surfer from the sharp or pointed nose of surfboards.
- Head injury – Surfers are at risk for head traumas. The most common causes include collisions with the rails and fins and the surfer’s head blowing against a coral reef or ocean floor. They tend to come from collisions with the rails, fins, and nose. All of these can result in skull, face, and jaw fractures, concussions, and spinal injuries. Some extreme surfers even wear a helmet to help prevent head injuries.
- Shoulder injury – When surfing, the most vulnerable body part to get overused is the shoulder. This usually leads to rotator-cuff impingement and tendinitis.
Although surfing has a relatively low risk of injury, it is still recommended to get medical health insurance in hand if you plan to do this from time to time to protect yourself from costly medical emergencies.
Our client’s fall shoulder accident while surfing in Thailand
Our client is an expat who currently lives in Phuket, Thailand. Last April 2021, he dislocated his left shoulder while surfing. Because of severe pain, he was admitted to a Local Private Hospital for physical examination and treatment. The findings showed that he had 5 dislocations in his left shoulder and mild swelling on the right shoulder.
His hospital expenses amounted to almost USD 3,500 but fortunately, his A+ health plan took care of all the medical expenses. This unforeseen situation is the reason why he got an international health plan which includes an Accident Cover. If our client had not opted for this medical insurance, he would have paid all these accident-related expenses out of his wallet.
Get protected from accidents and emergencies worldwide
We want our clients to focus on their recovery without worrying about the crushing weight of their medical expenses. It is crucial to have coverage that protects you wherever you are and whenever you need it. Beyond medical expenses, you can still enjoy financial stability and peace of mind.
A+ International Health Plans include an Accident Cover which pays all the medical expenses due to an accident(1). For as low as $28/month, Easy Care+ gives you international protection, whether you plan to travel or if you want to get the best healthcare locally.
Each of our health plans is tailored to your specific needs. You can have access to a network of over 10,000 doctors, hospitals, and clinics in more than 150 countries.
(1) Maximum reimbursement amount up to the plan limit.
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Since 2008, A+ International Healthcare has been providing best-in-class medical health plans around the world. To know more about our products and services, visit http://www.aplusii.com, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates.
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