Sports physicals from Germantown Primary Care

Prepare for the big game with a sports physical

Sports physicals from Germantown Primary Care in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County will keep your kids healthy for the upcoming fall sports season. Sports are a fun way for kids to make sure they get at least an hour of physical activity necessary for optimal health.

Sports physicals ensure that your child is in good shape to play any game. Ball playing may seem like second nature to your children, a short visit to Germantown Primary Care ensures that your child’s body is ready for the work that accompanies their sport.

Appointments for sports physicals should be done about 6 weeks before the season, so plan ahead to schedule a time with a Germantown Primary Care doctor in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County.  

What to anticipate for the exam

Plan to discuss your child’s medical history. This includes behavior issues, surgeries, and injuries. Dr. Manbir Takhar and her staff at Germantown Primary Care will determine that your child’s body is capable of handling whatever sport he or she decides to play. Dr. Takhar will also discuss family medical history. Genetics determine how our bodies perform under pressure, so family history becomes a vital tool. Sports physicals aren’t just for children. If you’ve decided to begin a new exercise routine make an appointment with a skilled primary care doctor before you begin.

Germantown Primary Care Associates want your child to be sports ready before he or she walks out the door. Their office has been serving patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Hyattstown with sports physicals and wellness checks with care and compassion.  

What to expect from a sports physical

Why do you need a sports physical?

Sports physicals are required by most school sports teams to ensure the safety of all players. Also called the pre-participation physical examination, or PPE, it is required before every year or season. Your local primary care clinic offers sports and many other kinds of physicals to residents in Germantown, MD, Montgomery County, and beyond.

Health history

The first step of the sports physical is to review your health history. This includes serious illnesses that run in your family, as they could be genetic, such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy. It also includes any prior serious ailments, injuries, or hospitalizations, especially breaks, fractures, sprains, concussions, surgeries, or times you have felt excessively dizzy, hard of breathing, fainted, or had chest pain. You will also be asked about your nutrition, sleep habits, sexual activities, any history of violence or abuse, and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Physical exam

The next part of the sports physicals are the bodily exam. During this section, your doctor will measure your height, weight, and blood pressure, and examine your eyes, ears, throat, mouth, joints, reflexes, lungs, abdomen, thyroid glands, skin, strength, and posture. Females who have begun menstruation may be asked about it.

Germantown Primary Care

Germantown Primary Care has seen thousands of people over the past 20 years from Hyattstown, Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery Counties. Dr. Manbir Takhar has served as the clinic’s Chief Medical Officer since 2012. Germantown Primary Care offers an array of physicals beyond the sports physical, including pre-college, immigration, annual, and Departmentof Transportation. 

Sports physicals in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Overview

Sports physicals, also known as pre-participation physical examinations (PPE), are used to determine if it is safe for you to participate in a particular sport. Most states require children and teens to have a sports physical before beginning a new sport or season, though doctors recommend you have one regardless. Your local Germantown, MD and Montgomery County primary care clinic offers sports physicals, along with many other health services.

Medical History

First, you will be asked about your medical history. This includes: serious illnesses amongst your immediate and extended family; hospitalizations, surgeries, or allergies, including food, medicines, and insects; any injuries you have had in the past, chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, or dizziness; and medications you are taking, which includes prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and herbal supplements.

Physical Exam

During the physical exam, your physician will measure your height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, vision, ears, nose, throat, lungs, heart, abdomen, flexibility, joints, posture, and strength. Depending on your answers to the medical history questionnaire, or the results from your physical, your physician may recommend an additional follow-up exam, lab tests, or treatment for any medical problems.

Your Clinic

Serving thousands of patients in Montgomery County, Germantown, Hyattstown, and Gaithersburg for more than 20 years, Germantown Primary Care offers sports physicals and many other health services. 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 clinic operates with compassion, care, trust, and individualized attention. 

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.

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.

What to expect during sports physicals

What to expect during sports physicals

Playing a sport is not only great fun, but is also a wonderful way for your child to stay healthy.  If your child plays any type of team sport in their school or even in a recreational league, they will probably be required to get a sports physical.  Germantown Primary Care Associates does all types of sports physicals right in their clinic in Germantown MD.  They are one of the main providers of sports physicals in Montgomery County.

The sports physical

Sports physicals are generally comprised of two parts.  The first is the medical history and the second is the physical examination.  The doctor or their medical staff will ask you and your child about your child’s medical history and will also ask questions about injuries or illnesses your child has experienced.

The physical exam itself

During the physical examination, the doctor will do several things.  These include checking weight and height, taking blood pressure and examining their heart and lungs.  The doctor will also check their abdomen and look into their ears and eyes.  They will also check their strength and flexibility.

Where to go for sports physicals

In Montgomery County and Germantown MD, Germantown Primary Care Associates is a one-stop shop for all the requirements of sports physicals.  They can do sports physicals for both school and recreational sports and provide the results right away.  You can either bring the sports physical form from your league or school or they will provide one for you.  Give them a call today for all your sports physicals. 

Sports physicals are required for fall sports

Sports physicals for fall sports

If your child plays any type of fall sport, this is the time for sports physicals.  Almost every school requires a student have a current sports physical to play a sport.  This is to ensure the child is healthy enough to take part in the sport.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland can do sports physicals which meet all the requirements of the local school system. 

Sports requiring sports physicals

There are several fall sports which require a student have a sports physical before they can play.   These include football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and cross country running.  Germantown Primary Care Associates can also do sports physicals for winter and spring sports, including volleyball, basketball, and wrestling. 

The parts of the sports physical

There are two primary parts to sports physicals.  These are the medical history and the physical exam.  During the medical history the doctor will ask both the parent and the child about any serious illnesses of either the child or any family member, any previous surgeries, hospitalizations or past injuries; any allergies or medications; and if they child has any trouble breathing, any chest pain or any episodes of dizziness.

During the physical exam, the doctor will typically take blood pressure and pulse, record height and weight, check lungs, heart, abdomen, ear, nose and throat, and evaluate posture, strength, joints, and flexibility.  The doctor will also ask about drug and alcohol use, about steroid use, and about weight loss supplements.  The physicians at Germantown Primary Care will perform very thorough sports physicals to ensure your child is ready to participate in their favorite fall sport.