Sports physicals are physical examinations that are immensely crucial in ensuring your child’s wellbeing and health while they participate in physical activities. Also called a PPE or pre-participation physical examination, a sports physical can help measure the physical ability of children and adults to determine whether they’re physically able to safely play their chosen sport.
Available from your pediatrician here at Northside Pediatrics Associates in Conroe, TX, Dr. Ayotunde Faweya, here’s what you should know about sports physicals.
What to Expect During Your Child’s Sports Physical
To start off, your pediatrician will check your child’s vitals, including their blood pressure and pulse. Height and weight are likewise recorded, as weight changes and growth spurts could put unwarranted stress on the bones, muscles, and joints. Next up is an eye inspection to check whether your child’s eyesight is just fine or whether they need prescription glasses or adjustments to existing glasses.
Your pediatrician will then do a thorough review of your child’s medical history. Make sure to come in for your appointment with details of your child’s recent, existing, or past conditions, surgeries, or illnesses. This crucial information will aid your pediatrician in identifying potential issues that might need further referrals, examinations, or restrictions to help avoid potential complications.
The last part of the sports physical is the actual fitness exam. Your pediatrician will conduct a physical test of your child’s heart, abdomen, and lungs to ensure that they don’t have physical limitations such as a hernia, injury, heart condition, or asthma, that may negatively impact their capability to safely play and train.
The physical test will likewise entail an examination of your child’s flexibility, strength, joints, and posture. By testing these, your pediatrician can pinpoint any injury-prone areas and recommend specific tips and exercises that will help in injury prevention and make your child’s body stronger.
For More Information on Sports Physicals, Talk to Our Conroe Office
Call (936) 270-8655 to arrange a consultation with Dr. Ayotunde Faweya of Northside Pediatrics Associates here in Conroe, TX.