Don’t Wait! Advocate For Your Child’s Health With a Sports Physical From Huneycutt Family Medicine
Sports physicals are an important aspect of your child’s health and wellness — not only can they catch a potentially harmful health issue, but they also help keep your child at their best while engaging in sports.
What is a sports physical?
A sports physical is performed by your local primary care physician prior to the sports season. It helps give you and your child a snapshot of their health to ensure their participation in the activity is safe.
They’re typically required for participating in sports at the high school level (sometimes earlier) and need a primary care physician to sign off before engaging. When you see your primary care physician for a sports physical they will likely sign off with no issues or ask you to wear or use modifications such as a brace while participating. The only reason they wouldn’t sign off would be due to a health concern that would jeopardize your health while playing sports.
What happens at a sports physical?
Your primary care physician will conduct both a medical history and physical examination of your child.
Medical History
The medical history is a series of questions that helps create a broader picture of your child’s health, questions may include:
- Illness or disease among the family
- Illnesses that the parent may have (diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, etc.)
- Previous surgeries or hospitalizations
- Allergies
- Chronic health issues
- Medications your child is on
In addition, your doctor will ask about drug and alcohol use and the use of any dietary supplements that they may be taking such as a performance enhancer or weight-loss supplement.
Physical Examination
The physical examination provides a real-time snapshot of your child’s health and involves things such as;
- Height and weight measurement
- Blood pressure and pulse readings
- Vision testing
- Heart, lungs, ears, nose, and throat check
- Evaluation of your joints, strength, mobility, and posture