Aug 16, 2017

Prevention Through Sports Physicals

What is a Sports Physical?

Sports physicals are designed to focus on athletic issues and determine the level of safety at which a student athlete can participate.

Top Reasons for a Sports Physical

• Ensure the safety of the student athlete participating in activity
• Identify any life threatening medical conditions
• Identify and treat conditions that may limit participation
• Identify and prevent any injuries from occurring

Not All Sports Physicals are Created Equal

Although all physicians are required and know how to perform the general sports physical exam, not all physicians know how to thoroughly assess your child’s risk of getting a musculoskeletal injury. Ideally, you want a physician who goes beyond checking for general muscle strength and asking about previous injuries. This involves the physician evaluating your child for muscle strength imbalance, flexibility, and joint range of motion which can all contribute to injury. Your child’s injury risk should also be checked for common injuries related to their sport and you should be given information on ways to prevent those injuries from occurring so your child can enjoy their activity without any complications.

A More Comprehensive Approach to Injury Treatment

In many instances, sports physicals are performed by physicians who do not usually see your child beyond the physical exam itself. So when your child gets injured, they are likely seeing another physician who does not know their full medical history. In addition, unless surgery is needed, the only treatment options available to your child will be a pain killer or muscle relaxer. Although sometimes useful, these therapies do not actually treat the injury nor do they work to help your child prevent the injury from occurring again.

By taking your child to a physician that has a wider range of treatment options available to them, you are able to help them better prevent injury and speed up their recovery time if they are injured.

Benefits of Bringing Your Child to Ethos Integrative Medicine

• Your child has a doctor they are familiar with, can trust, and are comfortable talking to
• We do more than the standard sports physical to make sure your child has a reduced risk of injury so they can enjoy playing their sport
• Your child has a greater chance in recovering from injury faster due to the therapies available to them at our clinic
• Your child can be easily taken care of for a number of sports related injuries and non-sports related illnesses by the same doctor
• Your child’s medical outcome is improved by our doctors having a close relationship with other healthcare providers we know, trust and communicate with on a weekly basis

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