The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (PPE), also commonly referred to as a school sports physical, is an examination that help the provider determine if the student athlete is healthy enough to play their sport or if participating could put them at an increased risk for injury. Most of us understand that there is an inherent risk for injury when playing sports. That means that simply by being involved in a sport there is a possibility your athlete may become injured. When we do a through assessment of your child's health and physical performance, the information can be quite helpful to guide parents, athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers towards preparing the athlete for the season therefore decreasing that risk. Ultimately, the goal of a routine sports physical is to "clear" the athlete to play for this season. If this is your child's first time playing competitive sports, expect to have a sports physical at least once a year. If you don't pass at first, don't worry! It usually means that your child will need to check in with another specialist before being ready to play safely this season. We recommend that you share a copy of your student athlete's sports physical not only to their coach, but to their family doctor or Pediatrician as well.
What To Expect
A Detailed Medical History and Check-Up
If your student athlete is seeing the doctor that is performing the sports physical for the first time, it's important to come along. You can answer the questions that your student may be unsure about including: past surgeries, injuries, prescriptions, whether or not anyone in the family has a heart condition or experienced sudden death before age 50. We will perform a brief screening all of the major systems of the body. Some people will be nervous about the exam but it should be a relatively quick and painless process. Some of the test include: vitals, a vision screening, ranges of motion, strength and balance, heart, lung, and abdominal exam, and an inguinal hernia check.
Special Testing
One of the major advantages of seeing a Sports Chiropractor for a sports physical is that additional special tests can be performed beyond what you can expect from a general practitioner or an urgent care setting. Special tests can be performed to give more detailed information about their baseline condition before the season starts which can be helpful for your provider to offer recommendations for the athlete to stay healthy and increase their physical performance. This may include assessing:
- core strength
- leg length inequality
- proper movement patterns (example: squat mechanics)
- baseline concussion screening
Schedule an Appointment for a Sports Physical Today
- Basic Sports Physical ($50)
- history
- exam
- clear to play
- Expanded Sports Physical ($75)
- basic sports physical
- Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
- ImPACT baseline concussion screen
"The FMS helps the professionals implement a better workout program. If it can help your coach improve your workout, then hopefully, you can practice better. If you can practice better, you can improve your skill. If you improve you skill, you can improve your performance."- Dr. Lee Burton