When your child is active in sports, it’s important to make sure they’re healthy enough to reap all the benefits that come from playing a sport. In addition to their annual well-child exam, children and teenagers who play sports need another exam called a sports physical.
When our team at Valencia Pediatrics in Victorville, California, including board-certified pediatricians Rainilda Valencia, MD, and Deepika Saini, MD, FAAP. perform a sports physical, they make different assessments than at an annual physical.
Learn the differences between a sports physical and an annual physical and how they benefit your child.
A sports physical targets your child’s overall readiness to participate in their specific sport. This includes reviewing your child’s general health and health history to ensure they’re physically healthy enough to participate in sports.
If your child is healthy, our team assesses their readiness to play their sport. The checks we perform vary depending on the physical requirement of each sport, but can include:
Depending on the results of the exam, your child’s clinician also makes recommendations to help your child achieve the right strength, flexibility, and lifestyle choices to attain top performance in their sport. We either clear your child for play, approve play with modifications that make play safe, or suggest alternate sports or physical activities.
Our team recommends your child have a sports physical at the start of their sport’s season every year. Most organized sports leagues require this exam annually to participate.
A well-child exam is a comprehensive physical examination your child has every year. A sports physical, on the other hand, focuses more narrowly on your child’s readiness to play a specific sport.
At a sports physical, your child receives some overall health checks, but the assessment your child receives at a well-child exam includes additional comprehensive medical care. You can expect your child to receive:
An annual physical is also an excellent time for your child to receive their vaccines, and for you and your child to discuss any questions you have about their health or development. However, our team doesn’t check your child’s strength and flexibility or specific sporting fitness at their annual exam.
By planning in advance, it’s sometimes possible for your child to receive their sports physical and well-child exam at the same time.
Bringing your child in one time for both exams saves you time. However, since your child will receive two exams in one office visit, you can expect your child’s appointment to be longer than having the sports physical and annual exam separately.
If your child loves sports, our team is here to ensure they stay fit and active. Contact us to schedule your child’s sports physical and well-child exams today.
