Sports Physical Specialist

Sports physicals are routine exams where your pediatrician determines whether your child is physically fit enough to play sports. Fiona Carroll, MD, of Child & Adolescent Health Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, has considerable experience performing sports physicals for children of all ages. She also offers school physicals. To arrange a physical for your child, call Child & Adolescent Health Center today or book an appointment online.

What is a sports physical?

A physical is a routine wellness exam that ensures your child has no underlying health issues. The most common reasons children need physicals are to attend school and play sports.

Sports physicals evaluate your child’s ability to participate in sports training and competition safely.

Schools typically require children to have a physical at certain times, as follows:

• Entering preschool
• Entering kindergarten
• Entering 6th grade
• Entering 9th grade

These exams ensure your child or adolescent is healthy and receives any help they need to flourish at school. 

What do sports physicals involve?

When you take your child to Child & Adolescent Health Center for their physical, be sure to bring with you a photo ID, your insurance card, payment, a list of your child’s medications, if any, and the sports or school physical form. Having this information with you can help the appointment go smoothly. 

Physicals consist of several stages, including:

Basic medical assessment

Your child’s provider weighs them and measures their height to calculate their body mass index (BMI). This shows whether your child is underweight or overweight for their age, size, and sex. Other vital basic checks include heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and breathing rate.

Medical history review

Your child’s pediatrician reviews their medical history, including any family history of diseases like heart problems. If your child takes any medicines regularly, their provider needs to know what they take and why. 

Physical exam

During the physical exam, your child’s pediatrician looks for signs of disease or injuries and listens to their heart and lung sounds. They check your child’s eyes, ears, abdomen, reflexes, joints, and more.

If the sports physical suggests your child might have a medical problem, your pediatrician might recommend lab testing or diagnostic procedures like X-rays, blood tests, lung function testing, or an electrocardiogram (EKG) to look at heart function. School physicals are similar.

If your child passes their sports physical, Child & Adolescent Health Center’s pediatricians complete the appropriate forms and give you a copy for your records.

To arrange a school or sports physical for your child, call Child & Adolescent Health Center today or book an appointment online.