Charlotte's #1 go-to place for Physicals and Exams
DOT Physicals
Sports Physicals
Camp Physicals
Wellness Exams
DOT Physicals
What is a DOT physical?
- Blood pressure and pulse rate: Your MinuteClinic® provider will check your blood pressure and pulse to measure your systolic and diastolic pressure levels, as well as testing for irregular heart rate.
- Hearing: Drivers must be able to hear a 'forced whisper' at a maximum distance of 5 ft. with or without a hearing aid. The standard equates to a hearing loss of less than 40 dB in the better ear.
- Urinalysis: A urine test screens for underlying medical conditions such as diabetes
- Vision: Drivers must have a minimum acuity of 20/40 in each eye, with or without corrective lenses. They must also have at least 70º of peripheral vision in each eye along the horizontal meridian.
What categories does the physical exam cover?
- Abdomen and viscera (enlarged liver, muscle weakness, viscera)
- Ears such as scarring or perforated eardrums
- Eyes such as cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration
- Extremities such as limb impairment
- Heart such as irregular sounds, murmurs or pacemaker
- Hernia
- Lungs and chest, not including breast examination (such as abnormal breathing, cyanosis or impaired respiratory functions)
- Mouth and throat, to check for breathing or swallowing difficulties
- Neurological conditions including ataxia, asymmetrical deep tendon reflexes, coordination or impaired equilibrium or speech pattern
- Vascular system (irregular pulse, carotid artery or varicose veins)
- Spine and other musculoskeletal issues, including limited motion, previous surgery, tenderness and so on
Sports Physicals
What is a sports physical?
Also called pre-participation physical examinations (PPE), sports physicals are usually a part of registering youths for participation in a sport. Organizers generally require an evaluation for children to participate. Regulations vary according to the rules of the respective state, school or a sport’s governing body.
A PPE helps to assure that the athlete is healthy and physically ready for their chosen activity such as baseball, football, martial arts, soccer or track. Before registering, check with the organizers about their eligibility requirements. The purpose of the PPE is to help minimize the risk of injury while your child plays.
Specific requirements can vary according to the particular sport’s organizers or governing body.
Your child's sports physical examination may include:
- Check of blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and rhythm
- Details regarding dietary supplements, medications or prescriptions for your child
- Evaluation of flexibility, joints, posture and strength
- General physical exam to check the ears, nose, throat, heart, lungs and abdomen
- Height and weight measurement
- Review of the athlete and the family's medical history
- Vision check
Camp Physicals
What is a camp physical?
Also called pre-participation physicals, camp physical examinations are an essential part of registering children for camps. Organizers typically require an evaluation for campers to participate. Regulations vary by state. Before registering, check with the administrators about specific eligibility requirements.
A camp physical helps ensure that your child is healthy and physically prepared to participate in all the activities offered at camps like hiking, swimming and canoeing. The goal is to help reduce the risks of potential injury to kids while away from home.
Why do children need camp physicals?
Although your child may be completely healthy, a day, Scout, overnight or summer camp organization may require them to undergo a physical before arrival.
This physical may seem inconvenient and unnecessary for a healthy child, but it protects the camper, other attendees and staff from avoidable illness, injury and life-threatening situations.
In addition to meeting the camp registration requirements, there are additional benefits to conducting a camp physical before participation:
- Check of blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse and respiration
- Details regarding dietary supplements, medications or prescriptions your child takes
- General physical exam to check your child's ears, nose, throat, heart, lungs and abdomen
- Measurement of the child's height and weight
- Review of your child and the family's medical history
- Test to check the strength and flexibility of major joints
- Vision check
Wellness Exam
What is a wellness exam?
An wellness exam is a routine visit to the doctor that usually takes place yearly or bi-yearly This exam evaluates your overall wellness and gives your health care provider important information about the condition of your health each year.
What happens during an annual wellness exam?
During an annual wellness exam, your health care provider will run through a series of tests and checks to get a general sense of how your body is doing. Often, your provider will do this using a physical exam check list that applies to your age, gender and any risk factors you may have.
Some of these checks include:
- Checking your weight, height and body mass index (BMI): Your weight, height and BMI are important measurements that give your doctor an idea of how healthy you are for your age.
- Checking your heart rate and blood pressure: Many things can affect your blood pressure, including stress, sleep habits, smoking, diet and exercise habits. Having too high or too low levels of blood pressure are both risk factors for chronic (long-term) health problems.
- Listening to your lungs and heart: This is done to check for any breathing problems, including wheezing or coughing. Your health care provider may also listen for heart murmurs (unusual sounds between each heartbeat) or extra sounds that can indicate a possible problem with your heart.
- Performing a physical exam: Your provider will look at all the important areas of your body to make sure there are no signs of health problems. This includes checking the color and size of your eyes, looking for bumps or lumps on your skin, checking your stomach area and checking your reflexes.
- Gender-specific checks: This may include a breast exam or a physical exam of the testicles.