The pre-participation physical exam at a collegiate athletic setting

Abstract

This report describes the initiation of injury survey and the Pre-participation Physical Exam (PPE) at a collegiate athletic setting. The subjects were 62 student athletes from Hiroshima University’s athletic teams. Prior to the PPE, the current and previous injury history from each subject were recorded. The PPE consisted of 9 items related to flexibility, muscle strength, explosive power, and balance ability. In the individual feedback session after PPE, we explained the results of the PPE and provided specific physical conditioning instructions. The medical interview, PPE, and feedback were conducted by a Japan Sport Association certified athletic trainer (JSPO-AT) or a physical therapist who was given the specific instructions by athletic trainers. At the time of the medical interview, 25 of the 62 players suffered from sports injuries that kept them out of practice for more than one day or interfered with their athletic performance. We advised 10 of these players (e.g., back pain with numbness) to seek medical attention. The results of the PPE showed that many of the athletes had flexibility issues, and the physical conditioning instruction in the feedback likewise emphasized flexibility improvement. This activity could be considered essential from the perspective of injury prevention, and will be expanded and continued in the future.