The importance of sports physicals for student athletes

Although summer is still in full swing, medical experts are reminding parents to schedule back-to-school sports physicals for their student athletes ahead of the start of the school year.

Dr. Jantzen Matli, a family medicine physician with Coryell Health, explains the purpose of sports physicals and why they are essential for the health and safety of young athletes.

“The overall goal of a sports physical examination is to maximize the safety of sports and activity participation of children and adolescents,” Matli said. “A common misconception is that these examinations are only needed for sports like football, baseball, and basketball. However, they are also important for those involved in a variety of activities, including marching band.”

During a sports physical, Matli explains that health care providers examine athletes for various conditions to ensure they are healthy enough to play sports, including:

• Medical problems that could cause possible life-threatening complications during sports play, such as an underlying heart condition
• Conditions that may require a treatment plan before or during sports participation, such as high blood pressure or asthma.
• Old musculoskeletal injuries that may need further rehabilitation, such as a previous muscular strain or an ankle sprain

Matli adds that physicians will also ask about the student’s medical history, such as current medications, prior surgeries, previous concussions and injuries, and chronic medical conditions. This includes family medical history to help identify if the student is prone to any hereditary conditions like heart disease.

“Questions will be asked about whether the athlete experiences any concerning symptoms during exercise to include palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, wheezing, or fainting,” Matli said. “We will check vital signs to include heart rate and blood pressure, and also perform basic vision testing.”

 Matli shares that a thorough sports physical will include the following assessments:

• Musculoskeletal exam – checks the range of motion of all joints and extremities and includes a strength test
• Cardiorespiratory exam – listens to the heart and lungs to identify the presence of any abnormal heart or lung sounds and checks the pulses of the arms and legs to ensure there are no obvious circulatory issues
• Neurologic exam – checks various reflexes and may also include an exam to assess general balance and coordination

Sports physicals can also help remove any unnecessary restrictions on sports participation or recommend any limitations on physical activity.

Ideally, students should receive a sports physical four to six weeks before the athletic season starts. Matli said schools often coordinate with health care facilities like the Coryell Health Medical Clinic to conduct physicals in the spring and/or fall.

Texas requires that children and teens have a sports physical before they begin a new sport or competitive season, according to Coryell Health. Matli said sports physicals are required for student athletes starting around middle school or high school. However, some schools might require them at a younger age depending on the sport or activity.

Even if a student has not participated in a sport but is considering joining one for the upcoming school year, Coryell Health recommends scheduling their sports physical sooner rather than later.

Matli explains that sports physicals are meant to be separate from a child or teen’s annual physical or check-up. The difference between the two evaluations is that the sports physical is mostly geared toward the student’s ability to participate in sports or other related activities.

“It is recommended that all children and adolescents see their primary care provider yearly for their annual check-up, which we commonly refer to as the “well-child check or well-child examination,” which often includes discussion about immunizations and may involve lab work depending on the age of the child,” Matli said.

Sports physicals are valid for one year until a new exam is required, according to a blog post by Coryell Health. Parents can make a sports physical appointment for their child by calling their preferred health care provider.