Summer is a Good Time for Sports Physical Exam

Kids shouldn't wait until the week before school for their sports physical exam.

"That doesn't allow time for a problem to be corrected or rehabilitated if it is detected during the exam," says Dr. Julie Jones of Baylor College of Medicine.

A pre-participation physical exam (PPE) serves three purposes:

• To detect conditions that might predispose the student to injury or illness during competition;
• To detect conditions that might be life-threatening or disabling and might limit an athlete's safe participation;
• To meet legal and insurance requirements of the state or school.

A PPE should include a baseline medical history and a physical exam. "Both of these should emphasize areas of greatest concern for sports participation, such as head or musculoskeletal injuries, cardiovascular problems and asthma," says Dr. Jones, Baylor assistant professor of family and community medicine and medical director of school-based clinics for the Harris County Hospital District.

To allow time to treat problems identified during the physical, the PPE should be performed at least six weeks before preseason practice.

"Some kids put off getting their physical exam until the coach tells them they can't play without it," Dr. Jones says. "If the procrastination is due to fear that a health problem will keep them off the team, that fear is usually unwarranted."

Research has shown that less than 2 percent of athletes are denied clearance to play sports because of the PPE, and less than 14 percent require further evaluation.

PPE's also enable the physician to determine the athlete's general health, counsel the athlete on health-related issues and assess the fitness level for specific sports.

"Summer is an ideal time for sport physicals," Dr. Jones says. "Besides being able to have problems treated without rushing the healing process, students who get their exam now don't run the risk of not being able to get an appointment when their doctor's office is flooded with calls from those who wait until the last minute."

- B. J. ALMOND

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmc-info@tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/08_01_99/page_10.html