Back to School Tips: The Importance of Physicals

Between buying school supplies and new school clothes, remembering to schedule a checkup with your family doctor may get lost in the shuffle. The end of Summer Break is a great time for kids to have their annual checkup with their family doctor.

Here are some back to school tips to discuss with your doctor that will help your child have a healthy, successful year.

Getting a checkup before school starts allows your doctor to re-evaluate and update your child’s active medical conditions and gives us the opportunity to refill medications. Whether it be asthma/allergy medications or ADHD medications, having updated prescription and health information plan with your child’s school nurse is important to ensure good continuity of care while your child is at school. Also, as part of an annual checkup, vision and hearing tests are done to screen for any deficits. If deficits are discovered, appropriate referrals and treatment can be initiated prior to the school year starting to ensure classroom learning is not affected by problems with vision or hearing.

A back to school physical also allows us to update your child’s immunizations. Schools often require an updated list of completed recommended immunizations for each child. If it has been a few years since your child has been seen for a checkup, they may have missed out on a scheduled vaccination, or guidelines may have changed or new vaccines released. With an annual checkup, we can make sure your child is up to date with the most recent recommended schedule of vaccinations.

Will your child be competing in school athletics? If so, they will need a Sports Physical form completed. This can be done during your child’s annual checkup. Obtaining a detailed medical history and performing a complete physical examination allows your family doctor to determine if your child is healthy enough to participate in athletics or if any restrictions may be needed. While it is uncommon, undiagnosed medical conditions in childhood can lead to significant health risks with participation in athletics. An annual checkup is the best way to evaluate for these conditions and avoid any potential risks.

Lastly, a back to school physical allows us to discuss any concerns you or your child may have. Adolescents face some significant challenges with their health. Questions about puberty, relationships with friends, alcohol/drugs, and sexual intercourse can be difficult to discuss, but are all topics that are on the minds of most teenagers. An annual physical allows your family doctor to counsel on these topics and promote a healthy lifestyle. Even things like eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are things that children and adolescents need to be reminded of and your family doctor can help identify ways to improve these aspects of your child’s overall health.

1. Why are sports physicals important?

Sports physicals help kids and teens understand and treat health issues that may interfere with participating in a specific sport. Your doctor may recommend specific stretches or strength training to help the child safely grow and develop in a sport.

There are often sports physical clinics held at schools or pharmacies, but we recommend that your children get a PPE with their pediatrician, as their personal doctor knows them and their history better than a doctor at a quick clinic.

2. How often should my child get a sports physical?

It’s important for children participating in athletics to get sports physicals at least once a year, but if your child is healing from a major injury (such as a broken bone), you should schedule a follow-up visit to make sure your child has recovered completely. We recommend that children get their physicals about six weeks before their sports season begins. That gives you enough time to follow up on any issues before the season starts.

3. Does my child need a regular physical if he or she gets a sports physical?

Sports physicals are vital because they zero in on the well-being required to play a sport, but regular physicals are just as essential since they focus on different aspects of your child’s health. It’s fine to do both kinds of exams in one visit, but this will require a longer appointment.