A physical isn’t only about unearthing new problems. It's an important time to discuss preventive health, too.

Are you wondering if an annual or regular physical examination is still necessary? A new study reveals that it’s an integral part of relationship-centered care and detection of diseases early on. The ...

A routine physical examination ensures that you stay in good health. A physical can also be a preventive step. It allows you to catch up on vaccinations or detect a serious condition, like cancer or ...

Dear Dr. Roach: In your response to "R.J." in your column "In exams, doctors seem to have lost their touch," you missed an opportunity to educate the writer on the role of the physical examination.

Doctors have long relied on physical exams to diagnose health problems, but in recent years expensive tests have taken the place of the tried-and-true physical. Dr. Abraham Verghese says the physicals ...

Doctors can sometimes identify the causes of a person’s headache with a physical exam. During the exam, they look for any signs of underlying conditions and explore the person’s history to establish ...

For centuries, doctors diagnosed illness using their own senses, by poking, prodding, looking, listening. From these observations, a skilled doctor can make amazingly accurate inferences about what ...