Certain medical professionals are approved to perform sports physicals on children and teenagers. These include medical doctors, chiropractic doctors, physician assistants and registered nurses. They all have the training and knowledge to ensure that athletes are not at risk during sports. If you are wondering why your child needs one of these physicals, keep reading to learn more.
Many parents wonder why their children need to have a sports physical. This is especially true when the children have already undergone an annual physical given by their primary care provider. An annual physical is given to children to make sure that they are overall healthy. A sports physical is given to children to make sure that they are in good enough shape to take part in sports without complication. Every parent wants their children to be safe when playing sports. For this reason, every child needs to have a sports physical performed before participating.
According to American Family Physician, approximately 30 million athletes younger than 18 years old receive medical clearance to play sports every year. Make sure your child is included in this statistic to ensure that they are safe during their sport.
Generally speaking, when a child undergoes a sports physical, they are approved to play in their sport for one calendar year. This can cover all sports during the school year. Since there are a few states that make it necessary for children to undergo a sports physical before each season of sports, parents need to check with the school to see the exact requirements.
Two different parts make up a sports physical. The first part requires parents to answer questions about their child’s medical history. A medical professional will carefully go through the answers to determine whether any patterns exist that could potentially lead to a child being injured when playing sports. The answers will also help to determine whether any underlying health conditions could hinder your child’s ability to participate.
The second part requires the child to undergo a physical examination. A medical professional will check the child’s height and weight, take their blood pressure and listen to their heart and lungs. They will also examine their ears, nose and throat, test their vision, examine their posture and check their joints for overall strength and flexibility.
If everything is good to go, the medical staff will sign the relevant paperwork and clear the child to play. Should something be of concern, the physician may ask for the child to undergo testing such as an electrocardiogram.
Does your child need a sports physical to participate in their favorite sport? If so, you can visit our urgent care center to get your child cleared to play. Instead of scheduling a visit with your family doctor, you can walk into our clinic at any time to get a physical.
Call us today at (703) 945-1942 for more information from Millennium Medical Care Woodbridge.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.
Preventing the common cold is a good way to maintain your health. It saves you a trip or two to the nearest urgent care facility. Keeping yourself free from illness can also prevent you from missing work or classes. If you want to learn how to ward off the common cold, here are some lifestyle…
You have almost certainly had the common cold at some point. More than likely, you get at least one cold every year. This common illness can hang around for several days and make life miserable during this time. There are similar sicknesses that can also affect you, namely a chest cold. You should learn the…
Curing a common cold is always at the top of the list of every healthcare professional. But until now, there is still no universal cure for this type of upper respiratory tract infection. Urgent care facilities focus on treating each symptom. If you want to know more about the common cold and its fever reducers,…
As people become more educated about their health, they are increasingly seeking preventative health care. Regular checkups from a family practice are an important way to detect diseases or potentially harmful health conditions early enough to implement effective treatments and avoid complications.A family physician is a valuable part of an overall health and wellness strategy…
Preventing the common cold is a good way to maintain your health. It saves you a trip or two to the nearest urgent care facility. Keeping yourself free from illness can also prevent you from missing work or classes. If you want to learn how to ward off the common cold, here are some lifestyle…
You have almost certainly had the common cold at some point. More than likely, you get at least one cold every year. This common illness can hang around for several days and make life miserable during this time. There are similar sicknesses that can also affect you, namely a chest cold. You should learn the…