Sports physicals in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Sports Physicals Overview

Sports physicals are often required by schools before children can participate in sports activities. In Germantown, MD, as in most other cities and states, teenagers must complete a Pre-participation Physical Examination (PPE) prior to a new sport or season. The benefit is to determine risk factors that could affect your child’s performance, which can allow your child to adjust their routine or training in order to prevent injury and sustain playing.

The Exam Itself

The sports physical involves a physical medical exam and medical history. During the exam, a physician will evaluate your child’s flexibility, strength, joints, and posture; check the throat, ears nose, abdomen, lungs, heart, vision, pulse, and blood pressure; record weight and height; and review medical history. The physician will ask questions pertaining to previous injuries, surgeries, hospitalizations, allergies, and ailments, like epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting.

Your Clinic

Serving patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Hyattstown, Germantown Primary Care offers a wide range of services and facilities to meet patients’ various needs. The medical team includes Dr. Manbir Takhar, who has been the Chief Medical Officer of Medical Access PC since 1999, and the Germantown Primary Care Associates since 2012. The facility’s mission is the A.C.T. trilogy, which stands for Availability, Compassion and Care, and Trust. Germantown Primary Care strives to always be available to meet patients’ clinical needs, provide individual care and attention during consultations, and gain patients’ trust, with over 20 years of experience serving thousands of patients.

College physical exams in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

College Physical Exam Overview

College physical exams are required before enrolling in most colleges and universities. The exam gives you a clear view into your current health status, and also helps you create a plan to maintain good health during school. Pre-college students in the Germantown, MD and Montgomery County areas can visit their local quality clinic for this test.

Immunizations

Bring a copy of your past immunizations, which includes all of the shots you have received. Colleges normally require you to get vaccinated against: Hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, chickenpox, mumps, German measles (rubella), polio, and measles. Although you probably had complete vaccinations as a child, the flu shot is annual, and certain booster shots should be administered every 10 years.

The Exam Itself

The physical exam is primarily to check the: joints, muscles, lungs, heart, abdomen, neck and thyroid glands, nose, eyes, ears, skin, throat, breasts, and, for women, possibly the pelvis. Your blood pressure, weight, and height will also be measured, and you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your health and medical history, including family history. Lab tests may also be required.

Your Clinic

Serving patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Hyattstown, Germantown Primary Care offers a wide range of services and facilities to meet patients’ various needs. The medical team includes Dr. Manbir Takhar, who has been the Chief Medical Officer of Medical Access PC since 1999, and the Germantown Primary Care Associates since 2012. With over 20 years of experience serving thousands of patients, Germantown Primary Care is a quality clinic strives to always be available to meet patients’ clinical needs.

Get your child’s sports physicals at Germantown Primary Care Associates

Any children involved in school sports should get sports physicals

The sports physical exam helps screen athletes for illnesses or conditions which could limit or restrict a child’s participation in a sports activity.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD provides sports physicals for the Montgomery County School District and for all Montgomery County Youth sports leagues.  Their medical providers are ensure an athlete is ready and capable of participating in a sport and are not affected by any conditions which may be aggravate by exercise.

The details of the sports physical

The medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates perform a physical evaluation, including reviewing the child’s medical history during sports physicals.  The doctors and medical providers evaluate past injuries or illnesses and look for any medical conditions.  The parent usually fills out the medical history prior to the examination.  The medical history is considered to be one of the most important parts of sports physicals by medical providers.

The exam

Montgomery County children are provided a complete sports physical examination at Germantown Primary Care Associates.  During the exam, the doctor or medical provider will look for anything unusual, including spinal condition, pain in the joints, elevated blood pressure, and problems with reflexes. 

Sports physicals are conducted to help keep sports safe and ensure they are accessible to every student or child who wants to play.  Sports physicals conducted by the medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD are the best way to ensure the safety of your child.

You can schedule annual physicals today at Germantown Primary Care Associates

Keep you and your family healthy by scheduling annual physicals

Your medical provider performs annual physicals to evaluate your overall health.  The National Institutes of Health recommend healthy individuals undergo annual physicals at least once per year.  During annual physicals, your medical provider will check for several things, including diseases and other health conditions.  They will also ask you about your diet and exercise routine.  They will also check blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar levels. 

How to prepare for physicals

AS you prepare for annual physicals, gather all the necessary information.  You should include any medications you are currently taking and any results from recent medical tests.  Also, write down any symptoms or pain you may be experiencing.  If you are seeing any other medical providers or specialists, provide their names and contact information.  Be sure to dress comfortably because you will undress for the exam.

Performing annual physicals

Before you see a doctor or other medical provider, a nurse will typically ask you about your medical history.  Be honest and be sure to tell them about any symptoms, allergies, or surgeries.   When you meet with the medical provider who is performing your annual physical, they will usually begin annual physicals by checking for unusual marks or growths.  Next, they will evaluate the abdomen and other organs.  While they do this they will look for location, consistency, size, texture and tenderness of the organs. They will also check height, weight, and temperature.  The medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates perform annual physicals every day and will be happy to perform yours. 

Using the right back exercises can improve work injury treatment

Speed up and improve work injury treatment by using the right back stretches

A back injury can render a person almost useless if the injury is not treated properly.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD often recommend back exercises and stretching as part of a work injury treatment plan for their Montgomery County patients.  Muscle spasms often accompany back pain and can be debilitating to an individual’s performance.  It is important for a person to perform lifting and moving with the proper body mechanics.  Always bend at the knees when lifting or when bending down.  Germantown Primary Care Associates and their medical team recommend stretching exercises to help keep the back healthy.

Preventing back injury with the right stretching exercises

Exercises to strengthen the neck, back, and shoulder muscles can result in fewer injurie, increase the back’s flexibility and range of motion and endurance and relax the back muscles helping reduce pain and the possibility of injury.  Before starting this or any other exercise program, talk to your healthcare provider at Germantown Primary Care Associates.  Begin slowly by stretching the muscles.  When the back muscles are stretched as far as is comfortably possible, hold the pose for at least five seconds then slowly return to the original position. 

There are several good stretching exercises to help prevent or treat back pain.  The physicians and medical staff at Germantown Primary Care Associates can provide you information and guidance on which exercises will help you prevent workinjury treatment for your back.

Diagnostic testing helps medical providers identify health issues

Your primary care provider can determine the cause of your symptoms by using diagnostic testing

The primary care providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates often use diagnostic testing to help determine the cause of a patient’s medical complaints and their symptoms.   This type of testing provides the doctor or medical provider and understanding of what is happening within the patient’s body.

The process of diagnostic testing

The possibility of determining what is wrong with the patient using diagnostic testing usually outweighs any risk to the patient.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD always ensure their patients completely understand all the risks and possible results from any diagnostic testing. Patients should meet with the medical provider before undergoing any diagnostic testing and should ask any questions they may have. 

Using diagnostic testing to assess medical treatment

In addition to being a tool for diagnosis, diagnostic testing is also used by the medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates to measure how much certain treatment is helping a patient recover from a medical condition or to help confirm that a patient no longer has the disease or condition.  Diagnostic testing may also be used by the medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates to estimate how likely a patient is to recover from a disease.  Since medical conditions are different with every Montgomery County patient, an individual may need to undergo a series of diagnostic testing.

For Germantown MD and Montgomery County patients, the medical providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates use diagnostic testing to help provide the best medical care possible.

Vaccinations all school children should get

Germantown Primary Care Associates provides all school vaccinations

One of the most important steps you can take to protect your child is to ensure their vaccination are up-to-date.  In Maryland, Germantown MD and Montgomery County, there are certain required vaccinations for school-age children.  The primary requirements are two doses of Varicella vaccine for entry into Kindergarten and first grade.  For entry into 7^th and 8^th grades, children are required to get one dose of TDaP vaccine and one dose of Meningococcal vaccine.  GermantownPrimary Care Associates and their medical providers can provide all necessary vaccinations. 

School vaccinations

The primary school age vaccinations are the TDaP, the HPV, the meningococcal vaccine, and the flu vaccine.  The TDaP vaccine protects against three serious diseases: tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, which is also known as whooping cough. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is used to help protect both girls and boys from cancers caused by HPV.  HPV vaccinations should be started and finished when children are 11 or 12 years old. The meningococcal vaccine protects against bacteria which causes meningitis.  Meningitis is a swelling of the lining around the spinal cord and brain.  The vaccine also helps protect against sepsis, which is an infection of the blood.  The flu vaccine protects against annual flu and the other health issues flu can cause, including pneumonia.

If a child has chronic health issues or is at a higher risk for a disease which may be prevented by vaccinations, your primary care provider at Germantown Primary Care Associates may recommend additional vaccine protection.   

Use the occupational health services offered by Germantown Primary Care Associates to prevent work-related injuries

Help prevent work-related injuries

It doesn’t matter what job a person does, they all come with some risk of injury.  These may be as small as a paper cut or as extreme as loss of life or limb, but work-related injuries are possible with any job if the job is not done correctly. The occupational health services offered by Germantown Primary Care Associates can help prevent work-related injuries to your Montgomery County employees.  They are experts at helping design occupational health services programs designed to keep your employees safe and on the job.

How to prevent work-related injuries

Here a few helpful hints from our occupational health services providers on how to prevent work-related injuries. 

·         Prepare and hand out safety.

·         Hold an annual safety meeting where safety is discussed. 

·         Appoint certain employees as “Safety Leaders” who are responsible for checking equipment and identifying misuse or unsafe practices.

·         Acknowledge and even reward employees who are abiding by safety practices

·         Keep a safe and clean work environment. 

·         Provide safety training consistently and routinely.

·         Provide employees the proper safety equipment, clothing and gear.

Implementing the right procedures recommended by the occupational health specialists at Germantown Primary Care Associates can go a long way to keeping your employees safe and injury free.  Follow these simple steps and you can help prevent work-related injuries at your Germantown MD company.  As the recognized experts in occupational health services, the occupational health services providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates will be happy to provide advice and guidance on developing a program for your company. 

Germantown Primary Care Associates’ tips for creating a personal wellness program

Germantown Primary Care Associates ideas for creating your own wellness program

Germantown Primary Care Associates and their medical director, Dr. Manbir Takhar recommend following a few key steps to create a successful program.

Know the status of your current health

You can make an appointment at Germantown Primary Care Associates for a full physical exam to determine if there are any health conditions which may impact your wellness program.  

Make time

Before you begin, make sure you carve out time for yourself every day.  Primary caredoctors, including Dr. Takhar recommend ensuring you have the time and energy to sustain your wellness routine.

Rest up

Another incredibly important part of a personal wellness program is getting the proper amount of sleep and rest.   

Manage stress

It is important that you do all that you can to manage the stress in your life.  Once you identify your stressors, then you can work to avoid them. 

Eating healthy

One of the most important parts of your personal wellness program is nutrition.  Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoiding sugars and unhealthy fats is key. 

Exercise

Exercise is key to a successful personal wellness program. Even ten minutes a day of walking can make a difference in your health.  Find something you enjoy and commit to doing it at least five times per week.

Germantown Primary Care Associates, serving patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Hyattstown are the recognized experts in primary care and overall wellness and will be happy to help you as you create your own personal wellness program.

  

Preparing for the immigration physical exam

Preparing for your immigration physical exam

Every one entering the United States on an immigrant visa requires an immigration physical exam.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD and Dr. Manbir Takhar know what is required for every type of immigration physical exam. 

What can make you ineligible to immigrate?

There are four primary conditions which can make you ineligible for admission to the United States.  These include having a communicable disease, not having all the required vaccinations, being a drug abuser or addict, and having a current or past physical or mental disorder associated with harmful behavior.

There are other medical conditions or behaviors which may be classified as Class B.  These include mental or physical abnormalities, serious/permanent disabilities, or diseases and waivers may be granted for Class B medical conditions.

Preparation for the immigration physical exam

In preparation for your immigration physical exam you should make your appointment as soon as possible.  Complete the form I-693, the Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status and bring this form with you to your appointment.  You should also bring proof of any vaccinations and health records.

During the immigration physical exam

The doctors at Germantown Primary Care Associates provide the most comprehensive and thorough immigration physical exams in Montgomery County.  During the immigration physical exam, the doctor will examine you looking for certain mental and physical health conditions.  You should answer all questions honestly.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD, serving patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Hyattstown are the recognized experts in the immigration physical exam and will be happy to help you with this process.