What Is the Purpose of a Sports Physical?

Pediatric Leaders in San Ramon, CA, and Pleasanton, CA

Dr. Lionel Herrera, Dr. Sam Pejham, Dr. Sushma Indukuri, and Dr. Sara Sadeghi lead pediatric healthcare at TRI-Valley Pediatrics in San Ramon, CA, and Pleasanton, CA, and can perform your child's sports physical.

Our experienced, skilled, licensed, and board-certified pediatric doctors believe sports physicals are essential to the health of a young athlete. Besides, the school system and the state require sports physicals before a child can enter into any school sports programs.  

What Is The Purpose Of A Sports Physical?

Sports physicals are separate from annual wellness examinations; one does not replace the other. A sports physical/comprehensive health exam at TRI-Valley Pediatrics in San Ramon, CA, and Pleasanton, CA, ensures that the student is healthy with no underlying conditions that would harm them while playing sports.

No matter what age, elementary, middle, or high school, a student is likely to over-exert their bodies while participating in sports. While some early programs are low-key, kids tend to overexert themselves.

Regardless of age, a child could have a heart defect or other underlying condition that the parents don’t know about. When that child starts playing sports and exerting themselves, this activity could worsen the underlying disease/illness and create critical complications.

Our doctors ensure that all the students they provide sports physicals for are healthy and ready to play sports. Most schools and states require a sports physical at the beginning of each new school year and a review of vaccination records.  

Other purposes of sports physicals are to determine: 

• Blood Pressure
• Weight/Height
• Vital Signs
• Heart/Lung Sounds
• Vision/Hearing 
• Prior Illnesses
• Surgeries
• Injuries

We determine if any of these issues could cause complications in the future due to playing sports. However, our findings do not mean the child cannot participate in sports. Health issues may tell the school nurse or coach to keep the child's medication nearby for rapid administration. We can help the child make changes to prevent health complications while playing sports.

For example, if a child has asthma and develops shortness of breath and wheezing, the coach or nurse must have rescue medication for a possible asthma attack. The coach and school nurse must know about the child's asthma diagnosis and have their medication available quickly.

Call Us For Your Child's Required Sports Physical

Drs. Herrera, Pejham, Sushma, and Sadeghi, encourage you to call TRI-Valley Pediatrics in San Ramon, CA, at 925-380-6230 and Pleasanton, CA, at 925-460-8444 today for your child's sports physical.

We want to ensure your child remains safe and sound and is ready to play sports without underlying health conditions that would exacerbate health complications.