Physical Exam Clinic in Winter Park FL

Children’s physical exams typically consist of a series of evaluations or tests that help determine the overall health and development of the child. These components may be adjusted depending on your child’s age, but they generally include the following: vital signs, height and weight, head and neck examination, heart and lung function, abdominal examination, skin examination, ENT examination, neurological examination, developmental assessment, immunization status, screening tests, and discussion and counseling. While all of these evaluations are grouped together in one overall exam, each one goes into much greater detail. Pediatricians will also check for any abnormalities that may have negative or poor effects on the health of your child.

During a pediatric exam, physicians will usually begin by examining the different parts of the body including the ears, nose, and throat, abdomen etc. Then they may run some tests on your reflexes, inspect your abdomen and skin, check for signals of puberty, and evaluate muscle development. Other tests within a physical exam may include vision and hearing ones. In a visual acuity test, the sharpness of vision will be evaluated. This is typically done by placing the patient a short distance away from a chart of letters or symbols, and then having them list off the characters. To check hearing capabilities, a pure-tone test is often used. A pure-tone test involves the patient wearing headphones to identify when there is sound being played. The sound in the headphones are at different pitches and volumes which can reveal many hearing related complications. Pediatricians will also review and interpret the medical history of the patient’s family to make sure any areas of concern are addressed. Development will be watched closely, making sure everything is within the range of normal, and if something is not, then it is properly addressed.

There are several factors that play into the importance and necessity of physical exams for schools. The primary reasoning for why they are required is due to the fact that they ensure compliance with immunization requirements, monitor student health and development, and address issues that may compromise or have an affect on their learning experience. For these reasons, depending on age, most schools will require a physical exam before every school year. Overall, physicals are an essential component in ensuring that students are ready to participate in all the activities over the course of a school year.

While both physical exams and well-child visits share many similarities as they are both evaluations of overall health, there are many differences in the goals and purposes for each one. Physical examinations are typically required at the start of a school year or when participating in sports. The purpose of physical exams is to determine whether or not a person is fit to participate in certain activities like sports or certain school activities. Physicals do not tend to address comprehensive evaluation of every part that makes up a person’s overall health. Instead, it only clears a person enough to make sure they are qualified to participate in specific activities. On the other hand, well-child visits are usually annual checkups that occur throughout the childhood of an individual. Unlike physical exams, well-child visits include comprehensive preventative care, focusing on the overall health and development of a child to a higher degree than that of a physical exam. In a well-child visit, the developmental progress of the child is reviewed and any discrepancies or abnormalities are analyzed and addressed. The intention behind this type of evaluation is to work towards greater physical and emotional health too. It also serves the purpose of identifying any possible problems early on so that they may be addressed and prevented.

Yes, here at Kidswood Pediatrics in Winter Park FL, we offer top pediatric care and services including physical exams and much more! Whether it may be an annual physical for the starting school year or a sports physical, we are ready to aid your child throughout this process. For more information on how to get your child’s physical, you may contact us through our website. We are located at 1680 Lee Rd. Winter Park, FL 32789 and we cant wait to see you there!  For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Winter Park FL, Maitland FL, Apopka FL, Goldenrod FL, Lockhart FL, Casselberry FL, Oviedo, FL, and nearby areas.