Physical Exams

What is a physical exam?
A physical exam is an essential part of most office visits. The annual exam tends to be more comprehensive, though, as Dr. Stahl assesses the patient’s overall health and looks for potential warning signs. The exam will start will a discussion of each patient’s medical history and current lifestyle. Since Dr. Stahl practices direct primary care, she’ll have each patient’s medical data already at her disposal. It just takes a few minutes to update all the information to make sure it’s current.

During this time, she’ll also talk to you about any concerns the patient might have about their health or personal habits. It’s a great time to ask questions, too.

The next step is examining vital signs, including:

Blood pressure
Respiration rate
Temperature

Heart rateDr. Stahl will do a cursory exam based on appearance, such as noted skin color. The visit will include a series of mini-exams, as well, such as:

Heart exam
Lung exam
Head and neck exam
Abdominal exam
Neurological exam
Dermatologic exam
Extremities exam
There will be different aspects of the exam based on gender, too.

Is blood work done?
It will depend on a number of things, but it’s not uncommon for Dr. Stahl to order certain lab tests based on physical findings such as:

Complete blood count
Chemistry panel
Urinalysis