| THE SKIER & SNOWBOARDER MAGAZINE, WINTER 01 | | | | her resort and underwent an operation. On her |
| | | | return to England, she could barely move her |
| IN the last two articles in this series, we | | | | leg, and although we have been able to offer |
| offered advice on how to prepare your body | | | | some relief with intensive physiotherapy, she |
| for the rigours of the slopes, to help reduce | | | | could have a limp for the rest of her life. |
| the likelihood that you will injure yourself. | | | | |
| Another part of your holiday preparation | | | | In order to ensure that your holiday does not |
| should be spending time researching your | | | | end in disaster, you should: |
| travel insurance. Should the worst happen, | | | | |
| and you do injure yourself, your situation | | | | • Take care to read the small print of |
| could get dramatically worse if you then find | | | | yourtravel insurance. |
| out that your insurance does not cover you as | | | | |
| comprehensively as you originally thought. | | | | • If you are unlucky enough to injure |
| | | | yourself, do not be afraid to ask for a |
| It is a little known fact that many insurance | | | | second opinion or request to see the local |
| policies only cover the cost of medical aid | | | | specialist. |
| while the individual is abroad. This makes it | | | | |
| very tempting to have whatever treatment is | | | | • Ensure that you are fully assessed. |
| needed immediately after the accident, while | | | | |
| still abroad. This can be a false economy | | | | • If your insurance does cover you and |
| and, in some cases, do more harm than good. I | | | | you are able to travel with your injury, it |
| have see some patients who have taken this | | | | is better to return to England for further |
| course of action and have had to surgically | | | | management. |
| correct injuries. This is because they have | | | | |
| been operated on too soon after the accident. | | | | Hopefully, if you follow this advice, and |
| | | | maintain your stamina and strength with the |
| To give you an example of the damage that can | | | | stretches and exercises previously featured, |
| be done, I recently treated a woman who | | | | you will be fully prepared and ready to |
| injured her knee on the slopes. She had | | | | tackle even the most difficult of challenges. |
| followed the advice of the medical staff at | | | | |