School is just around the corner and will be here before you know it. With all the busyness of summer and the rush to be ready for the upcoming school year, back-to-school physicals can be easily forgotten.
Back-to-school physicals are designed to check the overall health and wellness of your child. It is recommended that these physicals be scheduled every two years for a healthy child with no existing medical conditions. For children with existing medical conditions, it is recommended that they be scheduled for a physical once a year. Depending on your school district, your child may be required to have physicals for certain grade-levels, especially if they participate in sports. Your school can provide the necessary physical and immunization requirements your student needs before school starts.
Although they may be confused with one another, sports physicals and back-to-school physicals are not the same. Sports physicals are specifically evaluating a child’s health and fitness in relation to a sport. A back-to-school physical evaluates the overall health and wellness of a child.
There are several things which are evaluated in a back-to-school physical:
• Height
• Weight
• Cardiovascular health
• Respiratory health
• Spine curvature
If there are any concerns you may have regarding your child’s health, talk to your provider about them. During your child’s back-to-school physical, your provider may also recommend immunizations specific to their schedule requirements and individual needs.
Back-to-school physicals can help protect your child from health concerns, and can give you peace of mind about your child’s health and wellness. If you would like to schedule your child’s back-to-school physical or immunizations, please call the Murray County Medical Center at (507) 836-6111.
