While most of us are staying at home, for the time being, there’s still a possibility that your child may be able to participate in their favorite sports. You’ll want to make sure your child is healthy and ready before the season starts by bringing them in for a sports physical!
Here at Monarque Health & Wellness, located in Ashland, Oregon, our caring team offers a variety of functional and family medicine services, including sports physicals. Not sure what to expect or why your child needs a sports physical? Take a few moments to learn more.
During a sports physical, one of our expert providers starts by asking about your child’s medical history, including any family history of conditions that may affect their ability to play. Next, the provider gives a physical examination, which includes checking vitals, height and weight, vision and hearing, and general body system functions.
If there’s a need (based on your child’s age and the type of sport), our provider may also run an EKG to ensure they have a normal heart rhythm.
We recommend bringing your child in for a sports physical 6-8 weeks before the start of the season. This gives us ample time to evaluate your child’s physical condition and also allows you and your child the chance to ask us any questions you may have about staying healthy and safe while playing sports.
The purpose of having a sports physical is to ensure that your child is ready for the level of physical activity and movement required to play the sport(s) of their choice.
This is important for a number of reasons, including:
Sports physicals are the best time for one of our expert health care providers to check your child’s overall fitness and health, in particular their heart, lung, and muscle functions. Based on our evaluation, we can advise whether it’s safe for your child to play sports, and which areas of their body may be more prone to injury.
Since sports physicals happen before every sports season, they give us the opportunity to observe your child’s health over regular intervals. In addition to checking vitals, we also look for changes in height and weight, which can place additional stress on joints, bones, and muscles.
One of the main reasons why athletes are required to have a sports physical before the start of the season is to catch health issues in advance. These include concussions, asthma, heart conditions, and joint or muscle injuries. We also monitor any past injuries to ensure your child has a full recovery before they play again.
Make sure your child is healthy and ready to hit the field or court by scheduling their sports physical now! Don’t wait until the last minute to discover something that might prevent them from playing.
You can schedule an appointment at our Ashland, Oregon, office by calling 541-326-4777 today. You can also book your visit online, or send a message to our team here on our website.
