Sports Physicals in Berkeley and Serving Oakland, CA
Your little MVP is ready to hit the field, but have they gotten their annual sports physical yet? Even if they aren’t playing group sports, if your child is participating in any kind of physical activity it’s incredibly important that they visit Kiwi Pediatrics each year for a comprehensive physical exam and health screening to make sure they are healthy enough for certain activities.
What is the purpose of a sports physical?
A sports physical, also referred to by some schools as a pre-participation physical examination (PPE), is a comprehensive health exam performed by our team of pediatricians to make sure that your child is healthy enough to play sports. Your child’s sports physical is separate from their annual examination and won’t take the place of their yearly wellness checkup.
What is involved in a sports physical?
When your child comes in will take your child’s blood pressure, weight and height and vitals. We will also perform a quick vision screening. From there, our pediatricians will take over, going through your medical history and asking any questions about past illnesses, hospitalizations, injuries or surgeries. Details about your child’s medical history can help us pinpoint possible issues early on so that we prevent complications in the future.
Once we’ve gone through your child’s medical history, we will perform a thorough physical examination, checking their heart, lungs, stomach and musculoskeletal system to check for any signs of asthma, a heart murmur or past injuries that could impact their ability to play sports.
Why are sports physicals so important for my child?
Detecting health problems through these physical examinations doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t play sports; however, it’s important to identify health issues early on in your child so that we can provide them with medication, lifestyle changes and even modifications to their current activities to prevent serious health complications.
For example, a child with asthma may be prescribed both a daily and a rescue inhaler to help control their symptoms throughout the day, even when playing sports. By providing your child with the medications and treatment they need now, we can prevent serious complications from happening.
Since your child’s health can change dramatically in just one year, it’s important that you bring your child into our office for their sports physical every year, approximately 4-6 weeks before the start of the school year.