While we dread seeing the summer weather, schedule, and activities wind down, it is that time of year when parents and families start thinking about back to school prep. What may have missed your school list this summer amidst all the fun is your child’s health follow ups.
August and September are a perfect time to come into the office to have your annual well child and sport physical visits.
Why Sports Physicals Are So Important
Most school districts require students participating in sports to have either an annual or biannual sports physical. Each school district has its own form with differing requirements for the physical so print off the form for your school and bring it along to the visit.
Just like in an annual well child visit we want a detailed health history and physical exam to ensure the athlete is in good health for participation in a sport. This includes:
- Known allergies
- Prior illnesses
- Cardiovascular health history
- List of current medications
- Listening to heart and lungs
- Testing vision and musculoskeletal/joint health.
Contact your insurance for an understanding of coverage as many plans don’t cover a stand alone sports physical, instead it is often preferable to combine the well child with the sports physical into one visit.
Preventing Against Cold and Flu As School Starts
As school commences in a few weeks, we start to see childhood illnesses increase. Cold and flu season gears up and kids begin to miss school from these common viruses.
Fall and winter is the time of year to employ a solid immune support system to keep kids healthy. The foundation of this is a healthy diet.
Add a wide variety of vegetables and fruits high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, support gut health with bone broths and probiotics, and limit sugar.
Various supplements are available to support immune response as well.
As each child has differing health concerns and needs please schedule an appointment to discuss supplemental support for their immune system.
