Living an active and healthy life is important to keep an optimal health for the long-term. To support this lifestyle, many parents encourage their children to implement certain habits from childhood, including practicing a sport. Sports are a great way to accomplish great results for the overall wellbeing, but—before starting—getting a sports physical is always recommended and, in most cases, necessary.
Common questions parents might ask themselves include “What is a sports physical?” “Who needs it?” “Why is it important?” And, finally, “Where to get one?” For those living in Brentwood, TN, the answer is at Cool Springs & North Franklin Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. Whether a physical evaluation is required for your child to start a sport or you simply want to make sure that they are in optimal conditions, our team of specialists are answering the key questions.
What Is a Sports Physical?
A sports physical, or pre-participation exam, is an examination conducted by a pediatrician or primary care provider. This examination is required to participate in any sports, since the purpose of this exam is to be a safety measure that validates that a child’s health and physical condition is good enough to endure exercise, and practice a sport safely. Which includes checking various aspects of your child’s health, to list some:
- Weight and height.
- Blood pressure and pulse.
- Heart and lungs.
- Muscles and joints.
- Strength and flexibility.
- Coordination and reflexes.
- Vision and hearing.
- As well as their medical history, which includes allergies, conditions like asthma, past injuries and illness, medications and more.
If your health provider finds any health issue that might prevent your child from practicing sports safely, they will try and find a way to remediate that.
A sports physical might sound similar to a well-child exam, however, they are different. Pre-participation exams are limited to check if the child’s health would allow them to participate in activities safely. In contrast, well-child exams are still necessary to address other health related matters like updating vaccines, in-depth examination of health conditions, blood exams, among others.
Read more: 5 Signs It’s Time to Find a New Pediatrician in Brentwood, TN.
Who Needs it?
From middle school through college, most schools in the U.S. require a validated sports physical to play for the school. Nonetheless, this physical examination is not only for athletes, but also for all kids. In fact, most experts recommend that all children get one at least once a year, since playing and running with other kids is also considered physical activity.
☝ So, even if your kid’s coach or sports organization has not asked for a certification of this type, getting one is still recommended to assess the general state of your child’s condition.
Why Is It Important?
Because it assesses all aspects of your child’s health and condition to verify that they can practice sports or do activities safely. It is a great way to identify potential risks, growth anomalies and skeletal issues that could require additional intervention. Apart from that, it protects their well-being and ensures optimal performance. We recommend conducting this exam a couple of months before starting a sport, so as to have time to address any concern with programs and training. As a result, you are helping to prevent injuries and sports-related issues down the line.
An exam of this type is also a great way to give children with health issues, special needs, or disabilities the opportunity to address what could be impeding the practice of activities, or problems that might occur when performing them. In addition to being a great chance to learn about sports they can do, and to select the right activities for them, according to their needs.
Where to Get One?
Sometimes, schools offer the opportunity for numerous students to get their sports physical simultaneously. But if you want to keep a record of your child’s health, or need the pre-participation exam as a requirement, it should be ideally conducted by your child’s pediatrician. Since this is the specialist who keeps track of your child’s medical history and record, they can make better recommendations based on the results.
Get Your Sports Physical in Bentwood, TN
At Cool Springs & North Franklin Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, our pediatrician and primary care are the right specialists to assess your well-being and validate your sports physical. Contact us or come to our walk-in clinic to get that examination done, and support your child in the start of an active and healthy lifestyle.
