The importance of sports physicals for Houston area students

HOUSTON – Back to school means back to sports. Many parents are heading into local clinics across the area to get physicals for their children.

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At your child’s sports physical, the doctor will inquire about the family history, look at the cardiac history, and then make sure that they’re healthy enough for sports.

“We’re looking for really any red flags,” said Dr. Rebecca Beyda, a pediatrician with UT Health Houston. “So, any cardiac history in the family, anything that could alert us to maybe this child’s at risk for sudden cardiac death. We’re also looking for any injuries that they’ve had in the past and how that might impact the future, because we know if kids have an injury and it’s not properly, rehabbed through physical therapy and the like, then they’re more likely to have an injury again in the future.”

Physicals can also help non-athletes as well.

During this exam, it is also the prime time for your doctor to discover scoliosis.

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The good news for scoliosis is that surgery has improved dramatically in recent decades and kids can go back to their normal activities following the operation.

“We know that boys and girls are equally impacted by scoliosis, but girls are ten times more likely to develop severe disease, and a lot of times that severe disease with scoliosis really manifests itself during puberty in the growth spurt,” said Dr. Beyda. “So that’s why it’s so important to stay on top of those yearly physicals so that your physician can check and make sure that you’re not at risk for scoliosis or severe disease.”