Injured on Holiday in Koh Lanta? What to Do After Diving, Hiking or Sport Injuries — and When to Go to Hospital

A Koh Lanta trip is usually full of activity — diving, kayaking, hiking up to viewpoints, riding a scooter, or playing beach sports — so minor injuries during a holiday are common. The question is which ones you can manage yourself, which need a physiotherapist, and which need a hospital straight away.

• After scuba diving: joint pain, numbness, weakness, dizziness, difficulty breathing or an unusual itchy rash may be decompression sickness, which needs urgent oxygen and hyperbaric chamber treatment — not physiotherapy. Tell your dive centre and seek medical help immediately

• A scooter accident or fall with a head impact, severe neck pain, or a suspected fracture

• A deformed limb, being unable to put any weight on it, or sudden numbness and weakness

• Deep wounds, bleeding that won't stop, or marine-animal injuries with severe pain and spreading swelling

• Ankle sprains from walking on rocks, sand or steep paths

• Back pain after lifting dive tanks or luggage, or from long road and boat journeys

• Shoulder pain from more kayaking or swimming than usual

• Knee pain from walking downhill

• A stiff neck from sleeping on a bus or plane

For mild muscle, tendon and joint injuries, the PEACE & LOVE approach suggests protecting the area for a short time, elevating it, using compression to limit swelling, then gradually returning to activity as symptoms allow, rather than long periods of complete rest [1]. You don't necessarily need to cancel your whole trip, but you should adjust your activities to your symptoms.

• Pain or swelling that is not improving after 2–3 days

• You still can't walk, move your shoulder or bend your back normally

• You want to know when and how much you can dive, hike or play sport again

• You have a long journey home and want to reduce pain before flying

A physiotherapist will assess the injury, ease pain with hands-on treatment and equipment, tape or suggest a support, and give you exercises to continue during your trip and after you get home.

If you have travel insurance, check your policy terms. The clinic issues insurance claim documents right after payment.