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Being proactive is often the key to ensuring a healthy and happy life. Physical examinations and wellness checks provide an opportunity to catch potential health problems early to avoid the worst outcomes. Annual exams also ensure that you are up-to-date on preventative care, such as vaccines and cancer screenings.
Our family medicine practice in Caldwell serves all of Canyon County when it comes to routine health care. We are able to treat the whole family in one convenient office. If you need routine physicals for yourself or physicals for children, we can help! Make an appointment at our Caldwell office.
Types of Routine Physical Examinations
Physicals can be performed for a variety of purposes, but the exam itself will be similar, regardless of why you need it. During the appointment, our family medicine providers will ask questions and perform a series of low-intensity tests, all of which are intended to assess your overall level of health.
However, the course of a physical examination is often dependent on a patient’s individual needs and concerns. While some people may simply want to be proactive about their health, others may need testing to qualify for a new job or try out for a school sports team.
The most common types of physical examinations include the following:
General Physicals
A general physical is a regularly scheduled review of your health. A routine physical could occur semi-annually, once per year, or at any other interval. Unlike an employment physical or a school physical, which are often mandatory, these physicals are typically scheduled by an individual patient for their own benefit.
A general physical exam usually includes:
- Measuring height and weight
- Checking vital signs
- Reviewing medical history
- Reviewing and refilling current medications
- Ordering bloodwork to screen for diabetes, kidney disease, and other chronic conditions
- Ordering cancer screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies when appropriate
If your health care provider notices anything out of the ordinary, they may order additional tests to ensure your peace of mind.
Employment Physicals
Some companies require physicals either as a condition of employment or as a condition of returning to work after injury or illness. An employment-related physical exam could include the following:
- Review of the patient’s medical history and medications
- Blood pressure and heart rate assessment
- Vision and hearing tests
- Urine and blood screening tests
If your job entails any physically demanding duties or functions, your provider will most likely evaluate your ability to safely return to your position.
School Physicals
Back-to-school physicals are not always optional. Under most circumstances, these assessments are preventative insofar as they seek to identify and diagnose any medical conditions that could impair a student’s physical or mental health. While most school physicals are similar to general exams, your provider might:
- Review the student’s medical records
- Screen for developmental delays or cognitive disorders
- Assess your child’s overall health
- Measure height and record weight
Parents are sometimes given the option to conduct their child’s physical at a private, off-campus facility, providing additional time and opportunity for parents to ask critical questions about their student’s well-being.
Sports Physicals
Most Idaho schools require that student-athletes be assessed before starting a new sport and cleared for physical activity by a doctor. During a sports physical, your child’s primary care provider will:
- Evaluate your child’s overall physical health
- Assess the maturity of their body and any unique risks for injury
- Review the athlete’s medical history, with emphasis on past sports- and activity-related injuries
- Ask questions about the student’s family medical history
- Assess cardiac fitness
Every district has its own policy. While state law only requires that students be examined before beginning a new interscholastic athletic program, some schools ask that students take annual and semi-annual tests.
Camp Physicals
Private and school-run camps sometimes require physicals as a condition of participation. Sports camps, music camps, and other day camps might require a physician’s signature stating that the camper is healthy enough to participate. Since camps can involve overnight stays and high-intensity activities, organizers often need to know which children may need additional accommodations.
The Importance of Physical Examinations
Scheduling a routine physical could help you:
Establish a Baseline for Your Health
Routine physicals offer a wide range of potential benefits. During a routine physical exam, your provider will conduct a variety of tests. These tests can help determine whether you have problematic blood pressure, high blood sugar, or even suspicious accumulations of tissue.
Maintain Your Fitness
A routine physical examination is about you: your health, your lifestyle, and your aspirations. If you have concerns about your physical well-being or mental health, your primary care provider can help you chart a roadmap to improvement. You can ask questions about:
- The necessity and safety of vaccinations
- Lifestyle modifications
- Nutrition and diet
By taking the time to assess your health, you put yourself in a better position to improve your overall quality of life.
Build Rapport With Your Provider
Health care is a science, but it often involves more than the practical application of medicine.
By scheduling regular check-ups, you have the chance to engage in open, honest conversations about your health with your primary care provider. This sort of collaborative dialogue helps your practitioner gain a more holistic understanding of your health.
The Advantages of Core Medicine of Idaho
Physical examinations are undoubtedly important. However, even patients with high-quality health insurance policies often struggle to simply make an appointment. Wait times can be extensive, ranging from weeks to months. Core Medicine of Idaho prides itself on being an efficient, cost-effective alternative to larger Boise-area hospitals. Our Caldwell family care clinic provides convenient family medicine by trusted primary care providers. We offer:
- Urgent care facilities
- Experienced primary care providers
- On-site laboratory testing
- High-tech diagnostic systems, including ultrasound machines and X-rays
We offer many of the same services as a physician’s office but without the usual long wait times, inconvenient schedules, and strict corporate policies.