Sports Physicals Offered at NNMC

by Sarah Fortney, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Staff at National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) are preparing for the influx of students needing sports physicals prior to the start of the school year.

"It's a good idea to get them done early," said Dr. William Adelman, chief of NNMC's Pediatric Primary Care Services.

Adelman suggests scheduling sports physicals at least six weeks prior to the start of a particular sport season, said Adelman.

"We're looking for past injuries that need to be rehabilitated, for example, someone who twisted their ankle or had a broken bone," said Dr. Jeffrey Hutchinson, chief of Adolescent Medicine at NNMC. "We want to make sure that's working properly before they go back and play."

"The main reason for doing sports physicals is to get as many kids playing as possible, and we work hard to get kids cleared [to play]," said Hutchinson.

Sports physicals take about 30 minutes and are good for an entire calendar year.

It's also best to have physicals done early because the clinic tends to be busier right before the school year begins — when most school physical forms are due — and there might not be as many appointments available, said Hutchinson. At the time of the visit, parents should bring their child's school physical forms and have them filled out, said Adelman.

It's also helpful for parents to bring a record of their child's current immunizations.

Teenagers do not need an order form for immunizations, said Hutchinson, except for tuberculosis (TB) testing.