Sports Physicals

What Does Getting A Sports Physical Mean?

Sports physicals are different from the typical well-child checkup because their goal is to be sure your child can safely enjoy sports without risking harm to their body.

Ensure your child is prepared for vigorous physical activity
Gather information on your child’s health and development
Watch for potential warning signs of serious illness
Meet the requirements of your child’s school, camp, or sports team
Identify possible risk factors with a certain sport
Receive advice on avoiding injuries

Regular physicals are an important part of preventative pediatric care. Getting your child a sports physical gives the doctor the opportunity to examine your child, evaluate their health and fitness, and determine whether or not they are prepared for sports or school activities.

Annual physicals however, even when not required by a certain organization, should be a part of your child’s ongoing healthcare because they also provide an important opportunity to discuss your child’s development and any concerns you may have.

What is a sports physical?
Every child or teen who wants to play in a sport or engage in other school activities like cheerleading must have a sports physical or a preparticipation physical examination. They also need a sports physical to clear them to return to their activities if they suffer an injury or become ill during the season.

The purpose of a sports physical is to be sure your child can safely participate in sports. Suddenly starting high-intensity workouts and engaging in competitive sports can quickly aggravate a pre-existing problem or lead to a preventable injury when an exam discovers potential problems.

Although a sports physical may find a problem that prevents your child from participating, in most cases, the examination results guide decisions. The exam reveals problems that our providers can treat before your child starts a sport, and shows if your child needs extra training to get in shape to safely participate.
Why is a child’s medical history important?
Children and parents use a medical history form to provide information about:

Chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy
Hospitalizations or surgeries
Past injuries such as concussions, sprains, or fractures
Problems with dizziness, chest pain, or breathing during exercise
Medications and supplements
Allergies
Family history of serious illnesses

A complete medical history helps your doctor determine if your child has a condition that sports activities might aggravate.
How is a sports physical exam different from an annual checkup?
The physical exam for sports participation has a different focus than a wellness exam. During a sports physical, a pediatrician evaluates your child’s musculoskeletal health, assessing bones, muscles, and joints for flexibility, strength, and signs of overuse injuries or stress.

Their doctor carefully examines concerns that could reappear during sports activities, such as previous fractures, sprains, concussions, skin infections, a past history of pain or dizziness, and chronic health conditions. An existing condition doesn’t always prevent a child from playing sports, but it may mean that they need help to accommodate their activity.

The schools in our area require that sports physicals occur on or after April 1st to be applicable for the following school year. If you have a well child scheduled and would like your child to have a sports physical as well, we can complete these exams in a single visit. Please let your child's nurse know of this request during triage.