More than 3.5 million youth 14 and younger receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year.

The school sports season is in full swing. Whether your child is the football team quarterback or a star swimmer, he’s at risk for a sports injury. Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care centers throughout Florida are on standby to diagnose and treat your child’s injury and get him back on the field, the courts, the track, etc. quickly and safely.

According to sports statisticians with organizations like Safe Kids USA, the National Center for Sports Safety and the Yale Medical Group:

• More than 3.5 million youth 14 and younger receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year;
• Injuries sustained in sports and recreational activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injury among U.S. children, and although rare, the leading cause of death from a sports-related injury is a brain injury;
• Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries;
• 62 percent of sports related injuries occur during practices rather than during games - yet, a third of parents admit they rarely take the same safety precautions during their children’s practices that they do for a game.
• Nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students are overuse injuries (occurring from repeated motion over time).

Many of these injuries can be avoided by taking the recommended safety precautions including adequately stretching before a game, wearing or using the right safety equipment, undergoing proper training and conditioning, and getting sufficient rest after an injury.

Traumatic or life threatening injuries or conditions such as strokes, heat strokes, heart attacks and head injuries involving a loss of consciousness should be treated at an emergency room.  However, if your child suffers a less serious injury such as a sprain or fracture, pulled or strained muscle, cut or severe bruise skip the long wait and costly medical bill you’ll surely get at an emergency room by going to your nearest Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care center. We’re open early morning, late evening and weekend hours with no appointment necessary. Quicker treatment can make the difference in whether your child will be safely back in the game for the next tournament.

If your child hasn’t yet begun a sport, make sure he’s prepared before trying out. Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care centers statewide offer affordable school and sports physicals. You never need an appointment and you can save time by registering online before heading out.

Don't wait - July is a great time to get your kids' school and sports physicals and immunizations at your neareast Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Most school districts nationwide send kids back to the classroom sometime mid- to late August. That makes early August a mad-house of a time period for many urgent care and pediatrics clinics. Busy parents wait until the last minute to get their kids required school and sports physicals and immunizations. Skip the maddening crowds and get your children ready for school early.

July is a great time to make sure your young students are up on their required and recommended immunizations before heading back to the classroom. A list of the required and recommended vaccines at appropriate age levels is available on the Florida Dept. of Health’s website. Vaccine-preventable diseases spread quickly in schools and your child could be sent home if records show that he or she is behind on state or federally mandated vaccines unless you’ve been granted exemption.

July also is prime time for school and sports physicals for the young athlete. Tryouts for school sports teams often happen before school reconvenes in the fall and those who haven’t yet had their physicals and been cleared by a physician could end up sidelined until the next school year or season.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Centers located throughout Florida offer comprehensive school and sports physicals as well as the complete battery of required and recommended immunizations. You never have to set an appointment, but if you choose to, we make it easier than ever. Register online and a Solantic representative will call or text you when it’s time to head to the center. Take a break, run some errands or finish up your shopping for school clothes and supplies while you wait.

Hearts are all a flutter around Valentine’s Day. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care and the American Heart Association want to make sure yours stays in top condition so that you and the ones who love you can rest assured. That’s why the AHA named February “American Heart Month.” It’s also why Solantic offers wellness exams and physicals that include heart health checks like EKGs and pulmonary function tests. According the AHA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers tailored physicals to help make sure you're in good heart health.

• Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States, killing about a half million people each year;
• Each year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks In fact, the first cardiac symptom experienced by 71% of the population will be a heart attack, and one victim out of three will die;
• 90% of Women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease;
• More than 82 million American adults - one in three people - are estimated to have one or more types of cardiovascular disease;
• About 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease each day. That’s an average of one death every 39 seconds;
• Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women 20 and older, killing about one woman every minute;
• More women die of heart disease than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

To help keep your ticker going strong schedule regular physicals at your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center. We offer a range of age-specific physicals, including several designed specifically for athletes and executives. And we can tailor a wellness plan that addresses your unique health need and risks. Visit our website to find an urgent care center near you and register online for quicker service. No appointment is ever necessary and we’re open evenings and weekends to accommodate your busy schedule.

September is Youth Soccer Month! Make sure your young athlete is ready to hit the field with a sports physical at Solantic Baptist Urgent Care. With more than 30 locations throughout Florida, a convenient no-appointment-necessary policy, online registration and affordable pricing, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care has taken the hassle out of sports physicals. Each of our urgent care clinics statewide offers sports physicals for just $35, or $50 if combined with a school physical.

September is Youth Soccer Month! Make sure your child is ready for play with a sports physical at Solantic Baptist Urgent Care.

Our sports physicals are designed to review a young patient’s existing conditions and identify any new or progressed health issues that might require limited or modified participation in certain sports activities. A board-certified urgent care physician will review your child’s full medical history and lifestyle, noting his or her height, weight, blood pressure, pulse and temperature. We’ll also examine your child’s skin, head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, throat, thyroid, chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, liver, spleen, lymphatic system, extremities, pulses, reflexes, spine, neurological system, veins, muscles and joints. And we’ll check your child’s vision and hearing, plus perform a urinalysis. All of this will help ensure that your young athlete is in top physical form and ready to play.

To prep your child for the start of the sports season, find the Solantic Baptist Urgent Care location that’s most convenient for you. Skip wait time by registering online. We’ll call or text you when the doctor is ready to see your child. Don’t forget to complete, sign, print and bring with you customary forms (such as the HIPPA notice, patient financial policy and authorization to treat forms) to save time and ensure a smooth check-in. Call Solantic Baptist Urgent Care at 866-SOLANTIC (765-2684) for more information.

It’s that time of year again! Summer’s end means back to school, back to the playing field and back to Solantic Baptist Urgent Care for school and sports physicals. Whether your littlest is packing his SpongeBob backpack for his first day in kindergarten or your high schooler is psyched about wearing her varsity jacket and taking the volleyball team all the way to nationals this year, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care is ready for you with convenient and affordable school and sports physicals.

Make sure your student athlete is ready to take on the competition with school and sports physicals at your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Each of our urgent care clinics throughout Florida offers school physicals and sports physicals each for $35 or a combined school/sports physical for $50. These exams are designed to review a patient’s existing conditions and identify any new health issues that could require modified participation in certain school or sports activities. Our board certified physicians and highly experienced medical staff will review your young student/athlete’s full medical history and lifestyle, noting height, weight, blood pressure pulse and temperature. We’ll examine the skin, head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, throat, thyroid, chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, liver, spleen, lymphatic system, extremities, pulses, reflexes, spine, neurological system, veins, muscles and joints. And we’ll perform tests for vision, urinalysis and audiogram (hearing). We also offer back-to-school immunizations, so you can get all your school and sports-related medical needs handled in one convenient and affordable visit.

Solantic’s walk-in urgent care clinics have taken the hassle out of school physicals and sports physicals by offering a no-appointment-necessary policy. For those who want to skip any wait time, we also offer online registration for school physical and sports physical appointments. Just choose the location that’s most convenient for you and complete and submit the online registration form. We’ll give you a call or send you a text message when the doctor is ready to see you. Don’t forget to complete, sign, print and bring with you customary forms (such as the HIPPA notice, patient financial policy and authorization to treat forms) to save even more time. Call Solantic Baptist Urgent Care at 866-SOLANTIC (765-2684) for more information.

If you’re looking for a way to get in shape without straining your wallet, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care suggests small group fitness training. June’s end marks the year’s half-way point and most have long ago skipped out on their New Year’s resolutions. This year, many are blaming the tight economy for their fitness woes. But imagine sharing the costs of getting fit while enjoying the added benefits of a support system. That’s the beauty of small group fitness training programs popping up all across the nation. Multiple participants keep costs down. And having someone share your fitness journey can make it easier, more fun and more effective. Statistics show that fitness partners can help encourage all participants to stick to the program, even as it gets tougher.

Small group fitness training programs are an affordable way to get in great shape. Visit your nearest Solantic urgent care clinic to make sure you're ready for a new fitness routine.

The recession is affecting the physical health of thousands of people forced to forego fitness training because of financial difficulties. And it’s affecting the financial health of personal fitness trainers and gyms. Small group fitness training programs are proving to be the answer for both parties. Many of these programs are known as “fitness boot camps.” They can take place inside gyms or community centers, or outside, utilizing parks, beaches, even parking lots as fitness obstacle courses.

One attractive feature of small group fitness training is the range of workout types. Popular workouts today include:

- Zumba, which involves Latin beats and salsa-inspired moves;
- Cardio Hula Hoop, using weighted hoops to help whittle your waist, flatten your abs and boost your muscle tone;
- Cardio Pole Dancing for those who want to put a little spice into their workouts while building upper body and core strength and toning legs;
- Punk Rope, which centers on jumping rope to punk rock tunes;
- Forza, a Samurai-inspired core workout that involves thrusting, chopping and slicing your way through core, shoulder, arm and leg training using wooden swords.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care recommends you undergo a physical examination before taking on a new workout program. We offer age-appropriate basic physicals that help you determine your current health and fitness level so that you can make an informed decision about your new exercise plan. Also, if you or your child plans to participate in school or collegiate sports come the new school year / fall semester, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care centers offer school / sports physicals required by many athletic governing bodies and in some cases, by state law.

To prepare for your new workout program, visit your nearest Solantic urgent care clinic today. No appointment is necessary and your insurance company may reimburse you all or part of your physical cost.

At Solantic Baptist Urgent Care, we know springtime means more than love is in the air - competition is in the air too. It’s also on the fields, courts and water, especially here in sunny Florida. In fact, April is National Youth Sports Safety Month - and with good reason.

Before your kids huddle up, make sure you know all the youth sports safety tips.

According to Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to eliminating preventable childhood injuries, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under nationwide receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. Nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students are overuse injuries, caused by repeated motion such as pitching a baseball or throwing a football. It’s important to note than 62 percent of organized sports related injuries among youth occur during practices - not games. That’s because many young athletes (and their parents and coaches) fail to take the same safety precautions during practices as they would for a game.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinics treat hundreds of youth with sports injuries every year, and the vast majority of these injuries are preventable. To help ensure your child stays safely in the game, consider these tips:

• Be sure your child stretches the muscles he or she will be using most during a game. For instance, in youth baseball pitchers should concentrate on stretching the arm and back muscles while catchers should focus on the legs and back;
• Warm-ups, such as life calisthenics or a short jog, are just as important as stretching. Warm-ups help raise the core body temperature, preparing all of the body’s muscles for the demands of physical activity;
• Keep regular ice packs (not chemical packs) on hand during both games and practices to help control pain and swelling caused by springs, strains and contusions;
• Never let anyone, including coaches and teammates, encourage your child to “play through the pain.” Pain, especially when accompanied by swelling and limitation of movement, can be a warning sign of a serious injury;
• Be aware that injuries that look like sprains in adults can be fractures in children. Because children’s bones are still growing, they’re more susceptible to fractures and breaks, especially during growth spurts;
• Provide your child with appropriate, well-fitting helmets. Sports and recreation related activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children;
• Be sure your young athlete gets plenty of rest, particularly in the weeks following an injury;
• And make sure your child drinks plenty of water to keep hydrated during times of vigorous activity.

All of these tips will help ensure that your child’s body stays healthy. But don’t forget the most important potential injury - emotional injury by overzealous or abusive coaches and taunting teammates. Even well-meaning parents can go overboard, criticizing game-day mistakes and pushing children to their physical and emotional limits. Studies show that 73% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13 because it’s just not fun anymore, particularly as more emphasis gets put on winning games and the potential of sports careers. This robs young athletes of all the benefits of sports, including confidence building, goal setting and friendships. To make sure your child is ready for the sports season, stop in at the nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Center for a sports physical today.