Where To Get A Sports Physical In Ann Arbor
Hi, thank you for coming back for the latest edition of Beyond Primary Care’s blog- Where To Get A Sports Physical in Ann Arbor. In Beyond Primary Care blogs we highlight healthcare news, advice for medical conditions, and how membership for care works! Beyond Primary Care is an insurance free, membership based family medicine clinic. Beyond Primary Care is the highest rated Direct Primary Care clinic serving patients in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties giving families and employers peace of mind about healthcare costs by providing affordable and accessible primary care services.
The primary purpose of the blog is to introduce healthy lifestyle concepts and answer common questions I receive from patients that I believe are important. I want to start discussions that will help educate, benefit, and improve your well-being.
In this blog post, I wanted to educate my patients and any prospective patients about:
Sports Physicals
Cheer within a stadium. Applause from proud parents and friends. Smells of hotdogs and popcorn in the stands. The wail of an ambulance siren. We enjoy the former three but our faces drop with apprehension and anxiety with the last. What could be wrong?
If your child is among the 30 million children that play at least one sport, then you know the importance of having a sports physical to ensure that the child’s body is in top shape before the season starts. Whether your kids sport is hockey, baseball, volleyball, or football, your kids are working hard to spending a little time to access your child’s health can go a long way toward disease and injury prevention.
Most healthy children will receive unrestricted clearance to play any sport. However, a 2012 study found that 5.5% of children were deemed ineligible for sports. Still, even children with serious medical illness may participate in in certain activities.
The purpose of the sports physical evaluation is to to maximize the health of athletes and their safe participation. This is different than the annual physical because annual physicals not only focus on physical health but also developmental, emotional, and social aspects of your kids wellbeing.
What’s Included in a Sports Physical
The sports physical is to determine the child’s ability to compete safely. It will often include the following aspects:
A thorough history of the child’s existing medical conditions that may interfere with participation in sports. Particular attention is given for personal or family histories of cardiac arrest. Personal history of concussions, epilepsy, eating disorders, and drug abuse are also of importance. The history alone may uncover 88% of medical and 67% of musculoskeletal problems.
Height & Weight: These measurements indicate growth and development and and valuable in evaluate a child’s risk with competing at certain levels.
Blood pressure (BP): Although a BP evaluation is rarely an indication for disqualification from activities, a higher reading may lead to follow up in a primary care setting.
Vision assessment: Poor vision can affect your child’s performance and increase the likelihood of injury.
Hearing: Loss of hearing or variability to perceive certain frequencies of sound can also affect your child’s performance and increase the likelihood of injury.
Musculoskeletal evaluation and check fo joint flexibility, mobility, spinal alignment, and posture of the athlete.
Auscultation of the Heart: Murmurs or irregular rhythms may require further evaluation. Note: The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology do not recommend electrocardiograms (EKG) in asymptotic children during a physical exam.
Auscultation of the Lungs: Children who are actively wheezing or recovering from an asthma exacerbation may be restricted until symptoms have stabilized. Lung evaluations may also give the physician an opportunity to discuss rescue inhalers.
Where To Get A Sports Physical In Ann Arbor
Beyond Primary Care is a family medicine clinic for the entire family and sees people at all ages and stages. Whether you child is going to a summer camp and needs clearance or they are entering into middle or high school and needs that pre-participation examination, we got you covered. Our physician team will make sure your child is healthy and have the necessary paperwork complete through the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Thank you for reading.
- Dr. Jeff O’Boyle with Beyond Primary Care
