Fall is here, and that means it’s the time when lots of kids get back into fall and winter sports. While there’s nothing parents can do to completely avoid potential sports injuries in their kids, having a sports physical is a great way to put that risk in check.
The providers at Nevada Pediatric Specialists offer comprehensive sports physicals for kids in and around Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada, using tests and evaluations to make sure kids are ready to handle the rigors of play and practice. If this is your child’s first sports physical with us, here’s what you can expect.
Sports physicals begin like a regular physical exam, and they include many of the same evaluations. The main difference is that in a sports physical, your child’s doctor performs some additional evaluations and asks specific questions to assess your child’s health and wellness specifically with regard to their sport.
To start, our team measures your child’s height, weight, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation using a small clip in their finger. These measurements are noted on your child’s chart for the physician to review.
During the next part of the exam, the doctor asks a series of questions about your child’s health and wellness. This includes information about your child’s medical history and their lifestyle and physical activity in order to uncover potential issues that could interfere with sports participation or require accommodations to be made.
The doctor assesses your child’s physical health. In addition to listening to your child’s heart and lungs and checking their eyes, ears, throat, and abdomen, your provider evaluates muscle strength, flexibility, reflexes, and balance, paying special attention to the unique demands of your child’s sport.
This part of the exam also helps determine if the sport might place an unusual strain on your child that needs to be addressed ahead of time.
Be sure to bring your child’s permission slip along with any other required paperwork to the appointment, and be ready to discuss your child’s complete medical history, including any hospitalizations or serious illnesses they've had, as well as any history of allergies or asthma. Tell us if your child takes any medications or supplements.
At the end of the exam, the doctor fills out your child’s paperwork and discusses any issues they’ve identified. Depending on what those issues are, they may be able to recommend accommodations or additional testing or therapies to help your child prepare.
The team at Nevada Pediatrics Specialists understands the many benefits of childhood sports. A sports physical exam helps us understand your child’s unique needs and capabilities so we can provide care and guidance to enable your child to play while reducing their potential accident and injury risks.
Most school and community sports programs require sports physicals before the season begins. But even if your child’s sports organization doesn’t, it’s still a wise idea to schedule a physical for your child’s health and safety. To learn more, contact Nevada Pediatric Specialists to schedule an appointment or book one online today.
