Pre-participation Screening
What is Pre-Participation Screening?
Pre-Participation Screening can help with the detection and early intervention for existing musculoskeletal injuries or medical conditions, while also helping to identify potential risks. There is also a focus on the sport or activity that you are planning to participate in, with a view to optimising your performance and making it a safe and enjoyable experience.
The process of Pre-Participation Screening involves a detailed medical history, thorough clinical examination, focussed investigations and tailored advice according to findings and your chosen activity.
The medical history will consider concurrent medical problems, previous treatments and delve into your family history as well to consider risk. The physical examination is a thorough top-to-toe with assessment of your cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and musculoskeletal systems.
Investigations may include blood tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), exercise tests, MRI scans and so on. Interventions might range from biomechanical correction and rehabilitation with a physiotherapist, to ultrasound guided injections, cardiology consultations or even surgical interventions. This is all tailored according to individual need.
Pre-Participation Screening can help with the detection and early intervention for existing musculoskeletal injuries or medical conditions, while also helping to identify potential risks. There is also a focus on the sport or activity that you are planning to participate in, with a view to optimising your performance and making it a safe and enjoyable experience.
The process of Pre-Participation Screening involves a detailed medical history, thorough clinical examination, focussed investigations and tailored advice according to findings and your chosen activity.
The medical history will consider concurrent medical problems, previous treatments and delve into your family history as well to consider risk. The physical examination is a thorough top-to-toe with assessment of your cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and musculoskeletal systems.
Investigations may include blood tests, electrocardiograms (ECGs), exercise tests, MRI scans and so on. Interventions might range from biomechanical correction and rehabilitation with a physiotherapist, to ultrasound guided injections, cardiology consultations or even surgical interventions. This is all tailored according to individual need.
What do we need to know?
When undertaking a Pre-Participation Screening, what do we need from you?
- We need to know what are your aims, objectives and motivations for taking on exercise. Is it to start something completely new or is it to improve from where you are?
- What type of activity are you hoping to do and what is the time frame that you have in mind?
- Have there been any pre-existing concerns either for yourself or your family?
- What have you previous done or taken part in and what, if any, have been the barriers for implementing change in the past?
Motivations
People present for Pre-Participation Screening have quite different and individual motivations. Below are some of the reasons people have given.
“Improve disease control (such as for diabetes or hypertension)”
“After going through a life event such as cancer or a heart attack”
“Play with grandchildren”
“Screening for a specific event”
“Improve self belief and self confidence”
“Want to lose weight”
“Improve health”
“Reduce medication use”
Tools to help Medical Screening
There are various tools that can be used to determine risk prior to exercising. A common one that can be completed online is the PARQ-PLUS which asks about cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic and other risk factors. Based on this score, you may need further consultation with a physician before moving onto your exercise ambitions.