We hear the term, ‘self-care’ thrown around all the time, but what does it mean? Some people use the term to describe taking time out to relax, away from the places and things that stress you out. Our team at Prima Medicine in Fairfax and South Riding, VA is always happy when you’re able to take better care of your health, but when you think “self-care,” are you making sure you’ve covered every base? Dr. Chethana Rao and Dr. Harpeet Kholi can help you where activities like yoga and massages can’t — both of them can talk to you about the things you could be missing if your self-care ends at the spa’s doors. While therapists, aestheticians, and fitness leaders can help you get to the appearance you want, you won’t know what’s going on inside your skin until you make some time to come in to our office for a physical exam.

The importance of your annual physical

The main reason your annual physical is so important can be summed up in three words: testing, checking, and follow-up. Even if you’re an able-bodied person who eats right and exercises regularly, your family medical history, lifestyle, and environment can still have an impact on your health. The physical allows us to identify signs of disease or other risks to your health while they’re in their earliest stages, so we can begin treatment quickly.

Start the new year knowing everything that you can

Dr. Rao and our team want you to have all the information we can give you, and your annual physical exam helps us help you. We’re always proud of our current and prospective patients who eat a healthy diet and stay active, but without adding the information gathered at your annual physical, you may be exposing yourself to health risks without even knowing it. Give us a chance to sit down with you and learn your family and personal medical histories. This information, along with routine blood testing, tells us what your actual risks are and how you should proceed to remain healthy or to get the treatment you need.

We’ll help you keep an eye on you

A physical exam is a chance to find out if you’re showing symptoms of anything that could seriously (or not-so-seriously) affect your health. During your annual physical exam, we use up-to-date tools to evaluate your entire body, including your:

• Eyes
• Ears
• Nose
• Throat
• Lungs
• Heart

We also make sure you’re not experiencing any pain or stiffness in your joints or muscles. The annual physical is also the perfect time to get caught up on necessary vaccinations, including those for the seasonal flu virus and other contagious diseases.

We’re in this with you

If you have any concerns about your health, we want to discuss them with you, and your physical is the perfect time to do so. Sometimes, all we need to do is to put your mind at ease that nothing’s really wrong; sometimes, we’ll need to schedule some additional testing. Coming in for your annual physical allows us to stay up-to-date about your physical, psychological, and emotional health. The better we know you, the better we can help you if you have a problem. To make an appointment for your annual physical, give us a call at either of our locations, or use our online scheduling tool.