What Is A Sports Physical?

When you are signing up for sports for school, you will need to get a sports physical. This is done for just about any age, from elementary and middle school, to high school, college and beyond. If this will be your very first one, here is more information about the sports physical, what is involved, and why it is needed.

What is the purpose of a sports physical?

The sports physical is a required doctor physical exam that looks at your overall physical health. Whenever you sign up for school sports, you need to have the physical to make sure you are fit enough for the sport. The sports physical includes two main parts, including going over your medical history, and performing the actual exam. Most kids and teens going into a sport at school will need to get this physical.

What does the medical history portion include?

The first part of getting a sports physical is going over your medical history. The doctor will ask a series of question that look at not only your own health history, but that of your relatives to see if you are prone to any diseases. They will need to know about serious diseases that have afflicted your family members, if relatives had serious illnesses as a child or teen, such as epilepsy or asthma, if diabetes runs in the family, and if you have had any major illnesses or injuries. The doctor also needs to know if you have any allergies, if you have ever had breathing difficulties or chest pain while exercising, and what medications you are taking.

What does the physical examination portion include?

The main part of a sports physical is the physical examination itself. This includes a basic physical examination, such as checking your height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and your vision. Your doctor also wants to be sure you are physically fit enough to handle sports, so they will check your nose, ears, throat, abdomen, heart and lungs. They will also check your flexibility, strength, posture, and joints. Your gender may change some of the questions or details of a sports physical slightly. If you pass the physical, they will sign paperwork that is returned to your school if it was required.

You may need to get a physical before every year of sports. This is to ensure you are still physically healthy enough to handle the sport, in order to avoid injuries or illnesses. Contact a medical clinic like Summit View Clinic for more information.