A physical exam is an integral part of your diagnostic and preventive health care. At Best Choice Primary Care in San Antonio, experienced nurse practitioner Jan Elliott, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, provides quality physical exams to assess your overall health and identify any abnormalities that could indicate a disease or complication. If you’re due for your physical exam, call Best Choice Primary Care or book online today.
Physicals are an important part of your general preventive care checkup. Physicals can also be used to evaluate a specific medical concern. Physical exams are recommended annually.
Physicals are focused on improving and assessing your overall wellness and involve reviewing your personal and family medical histories, an in-depth discussion about your health and good health practices, a physical assessment, any necessary testing, and plenty of time to address concerns and answer questions. Physicals can also help you maintain a good provider-patient relationship.
Best Choice Primary Care provides annual physicals for adults and children.
Your provider might recommend a physical to:
Your provider might also perform a physical exam before you’re sent for surgery or prior to treatments for certain medical conditions. Best Choice Primary Care also offers school and sports physicals.
To prepare for your physical, you should collect paperwork or information to demonstrate:
You should wear comfortable clothing and avoid excess jewelry or makeup that might interfere with your physical.
A physical usually starts with an in-depth discussion of your health and the available services at Best Choice Primary Care.
Your physical involves a quick assessment of your pulse, weight, and height, along with a brief inspection of your body to check for any unusual marks or growths.
Your provider might test your reflexes and examine your abdomen and other areas of your body, checking the size, consistency, texture, location, and tenderness of your individual organs. Your provider might use the percussion technique and gently tap on your body like a drum to assess organs and fluids.
They usually use a stethoscope — a special instrument designed to listen to certain body parts, such as your lungs or intestines and your heart rhythm, to evaluate how well your heart is functioning.
Your Best Choice Primary Care provider might recommend blood work to check your blood sugar levels, your cholesterol, and other key factors that can help to reveal a current and accurate picture of your overall health and identify certain diseases, such as anemia or diabetes.
Don’t miss your preventive care physical. Call Best Choice Primary Care or book online today.