What is a Pre-Season Medical Assessment?
Pre-season medical reviews are a mandatory component for elite teams and athletes, for several important reasons. However, we believe that every athlete—whether you’re a weekend warrior, an aspiring gymnast, or a 16-year-old just starting football—deserves the same level of protection and optimised care for their body and mind. Therefore our focus is to provide the same standard of care given to professional athletes, extending it to individuals from all walks of life.
Who Needs a Pre-Season Assessment?
Pre-season assessments evaluate overall health, identify risks, and aim to optimise performance in athletes. While performance is a key focus for most athletes, as a Sports and Exercise Physician, we also prioritise health and injury prevention. For example, while rare, sudden cardiac events can occur in athletes, which is why cardiac assessments (including ECGs) are mandatory from the age of 16 in elite sports. Given that social and recreational athletes often have less access to medical support, they may face higher risks. That’s why we encourage all competitive athletes and those participating in high-intensity training (such as CrossFit), to make this part of their annual check in.
Female Athletes
Pre-season assessments are especially valuable for female athletes who are more prone to iron deficiencies, hormonal health issues and are more likely to experience acute injuries, such as ACL tears, than male counterparts. By optimising hormonal health, iron and other concerns we can resolve these issues before they can negatively impact performance / recovery even before symptoms like fatigue appear. For example, unresolved hormonal suppression increases stress fracture risk by 6-10 times. If this occurs, it can often take months before the athlete is able to resume full training. By catching these issues early it not only keeps you healthy and training better, but also reduces injury risk.
What to Expect in a Pre-Season Medical
There are several key assessments undertaken during a pre-season medical review, which help to set a foundation for ongoing medical support throughout the season. These include:
- Cardiac Assessment: A simple, non-invasive test of the heart rhythm (called an ECG). This helps to identify asymptomatic athlete related cardiac abnormalities to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.
- Concussion Baseline Testing: Baseline use of the SCAT, as well as computer-based testing. These are repeated after concussion events to ensure full recovery, and help to monitor for any long-term changes.
- Medical Review: Blood tests to identify deficiencies such as low iron, or hormonal abnormalities which are common in athletes.
- Musculoskeletal Assessment & Management: Some injury risks can be identified and managed with targeted strategies, including strength, control, and biomechanical adjustments, helping prevent injuries like ACL tears or hamstring strains.
How Do I Book a Pre-Season Medical Review Appointment?
Simply email us at info@drdw.com.au or call our friendly reception team on 0413 495 241 to request a “pre-season assessment”. Given the extensive nature of the evaluation, a longer consultation time (40 mins) is necessary to allow time for all required tests. Pre-season appointments are charged at our standard long appointment consultation rates, with no additional costs.