Wellness and Physical Exams

At Austin Family Medicine, wellness weighs equally to illness.  When you are well, we want you to feel your all time best.  In addition, we want to minimize the problems that may interrupt your wellness.  Our main goals include:

  • Cardiovascular risk reduction
  • Hormonal balance
  • Nutritional Support
  • Cancer Testing

We offer many types of physicals or wellness exams:

  • Physical Exams for children:  Ages 4 years and older
  • Comprehensive Physical Exams for all adults
  • Comprehensive Physical Exams for older adults (Ages 65 and over)
  • Employment Related Physicals
  • Sports Physicals
  • School Physicals

We aim to reduce your cardiovascular risk as much as possible.  Heart attacks are still the number one cause of death in the United States, so we do a comprehensive panel that evaluates cholesterol, blood sugar, metabolic processing, and genetic testing.  We also aim to balance your hormone levels as this causes fatigue, poor energy levels, decreased focus, and irritability whether you are male or female.  Many males suffer from low testosterone, and this can be easily detected with a simple blood test.  Females can also have an array of hormone problems which can be detected by blood tests and is covered by insurance.  We also perform hormone replacement with bioidentical hormones to keep you feeling youthful and healthy.  Nutritional status and support is important to us.  We have a dietician in house that is covered by insurance who will help you lose weight, decrease cholesterol levels, and improve blood sugar levels.  We also perform testing that helps us tell you exactly which vitamins or supplements that you should take for your genetic composition.  Cancer testing is a valuable part of your health as well.  We ensure that you are up to date on all of your cancer screening tests (PAP smear, colonoscopy, etc), and we analyze an in‑depth family history to determine if you qualify for genetic testing (BRCA Mutation or Lynch Syndrome).

Components of a Physical Exam at Austin Family Medicine Associates:

  • Vital Signs to evaluate blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen concentration
  • Comprehensive Health Questionnaire
  • Full Physical Exam
    » Vital Signs:  Heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen saturation
    » Ear, Nose, and Throat exam
    » Neck exam for thyroid abnormalities
    » Heart exam for abnormal murmur or heart rhythms
    » Lung exam for signs of asthma, bronchitis, or COPD / Emphysema
    » Abdominal exam to detect stomach, liver, gallbladder, or bowel problems
    » Musculoskeletal exam for signs of arthritis, bursitis, or bone problems
    » Neurological exam for signs of stroke, dementia, or neuropathy
    » Psychiatric evaluation for evidence of depression, anxiety, and ADD

Components of a Physical Exam (continued)

  • Men:
    » Genital exam (if needed)
    » Prostate Exam (if needed)
  • EKG for heart rhythm analysis
  • Comprehensive Blood Work
    » Complete blood count, electrolytes, kidney and liver function tests
    » Advanced cholesterol testing
    » Comprehensive and early detection of Diabetes
    » Thyroid Function Testing
    » Omega-3 Fatty Acid Level
    » Genetic Testing for certain mutations MTHFR 
    » Vitamin Testing (Vitamin D, B12, Folate)
    » Hormone Testing
    »— Men – Testosterone
    »— Women – Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, SHBG, DHEA
    » STD Screening from Blood and Urine (Swab is not needed)
    » STD Screening is only performed if needed or indicated
  • Cancer Screening
    » Detailed Family History Evaluation
    » Genetic Testing if indicated (BRCA, Lynch syndrome)
    » Colonoscopy or other colon cancer screening tools (Requires Referral)
    » Lung Cancer Screening – Requires CT Scan done elsewhere
    » Cervical Cancer, Ovarian, and Uterine Cancer Evaluation
    » Prostate Cancer Screening (if desired)
  • Smoking Cessation Discussion
  • Advanced Testing
    » Max Pulse
    »— This test evaluates the microscopic blood vessels.  It analyzes the stiffness of blood vessels for early detection of heart disease and peripheral artery disease.
    »     Advanced Stress Testing (CMET)
    » Carotid IMT or Blood Vessel Age

Most other tests that may be needed will be ordered and performed in our office without having to go to another facility. Please refer to our In-House Testing page for a detailed list of the testing that we can perform in our office without going to a different facility.

The advanced blood work that is collected requires 3-4 weeks for processing.  After results have returned, we will ask that you return for a follow-up appointment 3-4 weeks later in order to discuss the results in detail.

We ask that you come to your wellness exam fasting.  This means that you cannot consume any food or drink for 8 hours prior to your blood draw that contains calories.  You are allowed to drink black coffee and water.  You are also allowed to take most of your medications.  You should NOT take diabetic medications, especially insulin.  Metformin is safe to take while fasting.

Please note:  In order to facilitate an in-depth physical exam and wellness evaluation, we recommend that you make a separate appointment to be evaluated for any problems that you may be having.  This can be done before or after your physical exam. This allows ample time to be dedicated to your overall wellness.