Urgent Care for Sports Physical in Rockville, MD

This is a question asked by millions of parents of kids enrolled in middle school through to college in America, and sometimes frantically. Often, the form is due to the athletic department without a lot of notice and if not submitted by the deadline, your child won’t be able to join one of the school’s sports teams. The preferred scenario is to schedule an appointment for your child’s sports physical at urgent care or simply walk in, which also helps keep your child’s health history up to date. During the same visit, your child’s doctor can also be sure their immunizations are up-to-date and discuss any private concerns confidentially. Given that urgent care doctors are trained to treat many sports-related injuries and problems commonly experienced by kids and young adults, your child’s pediatrician is a great choice to have their sports physical exam done. Physicians Now Urgent Care is able to perform sports physicals among all of the other services that are offered to patients under 18.

Your child’s doctor will begin the physical exam with a thorough medical history of illnesses, injuries, or hospitalizations that might prevent your child from participating, or limit the amount of play they can take part in.

During a sports physical, a doctor will:

• Measure height and weight
• Examine the ears, nose and throat
• Vision test
• Check vital signs (pulse, blood pressure)
• Check joint for strength, flexibility
• Check posture
• Check abdomen
• Screen cholesterol
• Genital exam, depending on the child’s age

A health questionnaire is usually a part of the sports physical exam which asks questions related to the child’s health history such as:

• Asthma
• Shortness of breath or chest pain
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Frequent headaches
• Eating disorders
• Vision problems (Glasses or contact lenses)
• Epilepsy or seizures
• Bone, spine, or joint injuries
• Allergies
• Liver or kidney problems
• Prescribed medications

Parents sometimes wonder why their child needs an annual physical, especially when they are perfectly healthy. The answer is that children’s bodies are rapidly changing from one year to the next. A child’s growth is a very important sign of health, which is why a child’s weight and height are plotted on a national growth scale. An annual physical will assess if a child is overweight, under-weight and their general nutrition, as well as their height, as these are indicative of good health and development. It is also an opportunity to discuss any concerns you or your child may have about their health and to ask any questions that you need answered. As with adults, getting an annual physical exam or check-up is vital to your health and wellbeing, and specifically for children a physical exam can prevent issues that may not present themselves until adulthood and be a great benefit to their long-term health.

The purpose of sports physical is to ensure your child would not be putting him or herself in physical danger by playing a sport that their health or physical ability isn’t well suited for. An annual physical is different from sports physical in that in addition to focusing on the physical health of your child, a regular physical also focuses on the developmental, emotional, and social aspects of their health.

A regular physical exam for your child will include the areas being tested and checked during sports physical, as well as the following:

• History
• Immunizations
• Lab work, if needed
• Behavioral and developmental screening, if needed
• Nutrition and sleep habits
• Preventative health
• Adolescent issues

Our highly skilled physicians at Physicians Now Urgent Care are here to answer your questions about your child’s health, as well as to perform your child’s sports physical exams. Call today to speak with one of our friendly staff or visit our website anytime to book your appointment. We serve patients from Rockville MD, Travilah MD, Lone Oak MD, Colesville Park MD, Redland MD, Darnestown MD, Anscroft MD, and Wheaton-Glenmont MD.