Before getting out on the field or the court, make sure your children have had their sports physicals

Joining sports teams and enjoying community events with teammates is a formative activity for teens and preteens. This not only provides a fun outlet for physical activity, but it also offers necessary social interaction for your children. Before getting out on the field or the court, make sure your children have had their sports physicals in Fort Lauderdale from Holy Cross Urgent Care! Learn why these physicals are important, what they entail, and why you should check-in with our healthcare professionals.

Why Do You Need a Sports Physical?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 57% of high school students engaged in sports in 2019. If your child has chosen to join a sports team, you want to ensure that they can safely participate. A preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE), also referred to as a sports physical, will go over their medical history and monitor their current state of health. Preexisting conditions like asthma, allergies, or heart conditions could be exacerbated by physical activity or time spent outdoors. This professional evaluation can help to shine a light on any health concerns and make sure that your teen is cleared to play. 

Our urgent care in Fort Lauderdale provides your child with quick, thorough sports physicals! We accept walk-ins to our lobby, or go ahead and check-in online to reserve your place in line. We advise that teens come in at least a month and a half before the start of the season. This gives us plenty of time to conduct the physical, determine our findings, and discuss any necessary treatment before the season begins.

What Your Sports Physical Includes

During sports physicals, your urgent care specialist in Fort Lauderdale will start by discussing your child’s medical history. We ask that you answer as accurately and honestly as possible so we can give you clear, correct results. Tell us whether or not they have had issues from genetic conditions, COVID-19, diabetes, or complications following surgery. We also need to know how they feel during exercise and physical activity. Do they experience dizziness, chest pain, or breathing issues? Make sure to disclose this information to the professional conducting your examination.

Next, we will perform a physical exam. This requires recording your teen’s height, body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and more. This is a comprehensive study that tests their vision, muscles, bones, lungs, and heart. This portion of the sports physical also draws connections between their current diet and health and how these may affect their performance. 

What Happens Next?

After we have made our recordings, we will determine if there are any major health concerns to take into account. If we discover a problem, we may advise your teen to take medication, start physical therapy sessions, or come in for another exam. In some circumstances, your child may not be given a green light to jump into the game. But don’t let that be a discouragement! With the right medication or treatment, or by switching to another less strenuous sport, your teen can engage in sports within safer parameters.

Schedule Sports Physicals at Holy Cross Urgent Care in Fort Lauderdale

Let our experts help your child dive into sports in the safest and healthiest way possible. If you are interested in sports physicals from our urgent care clinic in Fort Lauderdale, feel free to stop by at your convenience. And to make your visit even faster, we recommend checking in online. If you have any questions, we would love to answer them for you. Give us a call at 954-764-6646 to speak with one of our helpful professionals. We look forward to helping your child enjoy the season to the fullest!