Removing socks for an exam?

Hey guys.

A little about me:

25 years old

-Very Good/Excellent Health, Athletic

-Male

So I have to get a physical exam next week for the first time in about 4 years. But I was wondering do I need/have to remove my socks for an exam? I am a little nervous about it. I've had exams my whole life and I've only had to remove them once for reflexes when I was about 18. It was a bit uncomfortable since it was the whole exam, but I only removed my shirt for a brief time in addition to socks.

I'm just a little self conscious and don't like being barefoot, but I hear a few people have said you have to remove your socks for an exam. Is this true? If I do have to, why would I have to barefoot? What will be the % chance I have to be barefoot?

In my world, socks stay on. No requirement for socks off unless you're at the Podiatrist's office as far as I'm concerned. Do what makes you comfortable at any other appt. You're paying them. They work for you. You call the shots ... so to speak.

If you are having a full examination then you should remove your socks. Aside from reflexes, your feet can reveal the beginning of diabetes.. The condition of your feet can tell the doctor other things about your health, So I would say that its 75% or more certain that he will request that you take off your socks. Good luck on your exam.

At 18, during a school medical exam, the doctor wanted us to take off our socks. We only had our briefs.

Another time, I was much older, the doctor told me to take my clothes off to my underwear, I also took off my socks, not knowing if it was necessary or not. Otherwise, I keep them.

For my exams I'm always asked to undress to my underwear so I strip down to my boxers and barefoot. If you're not comfortable taking your socks off off if the doc asks you to then just say so and leave them on.

I’m sure it’s possible to do it with them on. What’s the physical for?

Just a yearly physical. But I haven't had one in a few years now.

However 9/10 exams I look up require this.

Generally speaking, most people don't worry about removing their socks for a physical. That's the least of their worries. 😃

If it’s a complete head to toe physical, then yes, expect that you will have to take your socks off. In my experience, my doctor has always looked at my feet and felt my pedal pulses, so I have to be barefoot for my exam but I don’t have a problem with it. Like you, I used to be very self-conscious about my feet and never liked going barefoot, but I overcame that insecurity and no longer feel self-conscious. In fact, having to be barefoot for my physical exams helped me overcome it. My advice to you would be, if the nurse or doctor asks you to take your socks off, just do it and don’t think twice about it. That’s what I did and I found out that it wasn’t so bad.

I don't remove my socks - cold tile, cold feet. If the doc wants to look at my feet it's no big deal to pull the sock off and put it back on when he/she is done. Generally, all my doc is concerned about is any edema around my ankle, and she checks that with shoes and socks on.

Thanks for the replies.

Had my physical this morning. I was instructed to remove my shirt, shoes and socks. I ended up being barefoot the entirety of the exam with a few things like pulses and my arches checked. Not a whole lot of stuff...

My shirt was briefly removed in the beginning and I put it back on, but I was barefoot the whole time which I was awkward about.

@Violet58 said

In my world, socks stay on. No requirement for socks off unless you're at the Podiatrist's office as far as I'm concerned. Do what makes you comfortable at any other appt. You're paying them. They work for you. You call the shots ... so to speak.

While that is true, if you refuse to comply with the doctor's standards in an exam, it is his prerogative to dismiss you from their practice.

Open honest polite communication with the staff of the physician and the physician themselves goes a long way! I take a pair of thin light material, very loose socks with me that are easy on, easy off. After the exam, those socks go in a zip lock bag. When I get home later, they are laundered.

My providers have always been perfectly fine with this. They remove my socks as needed. As I said above, good communication and such goes a long way.

Only time my socks come off is when I'm having my annual diabetic medical and the doctor is checking the sensitivity in my toes.

I have multiple conditions that have me removing my socks.

First I was born with negative arches. Yes I wore arch supports until I was 12. Never did any good.

Lately my insulin resistance causes water retention and swelling. This even though I take a water pill.

Usually I’m seated on the table and I remove them and put them back on. With the swelling my socks are tight.

If it gets really bad I have a compression stocking that covers over my calf.

Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

My sub has never had to remove his socks for a physical exam. He has had to remove his shoes, to get weighed, but never had him take his socks off, they didn't look at his feet.

I am diabetic so a regular foot exam is necessary and I have to take off my socks for that and for a full body skin exam. But unless I injure my foot I don’t see me having to take my socks off.

The only times I’ve taken my socks off is for dermatology exams and occasionally through high school when I had problems with athletes foot. Doc prescribed losartan until it went OTC.

@Bosguy95 thanks for the update. So how do you feel about it for next time?

Had my physical this morning. I was instructed to remove my shirt, shoes and socks. I ended up being barefoot the entirety of the exam with a few things like pulses and my arches checked. Not a whole lot of stuff...

My shirt was briefly removed in the beginning and I put it back on, but I was barefoot the whole time which I was awkward about.

@Bosguy95 thanks for the update. I hope this helps you overcome your anxiety about being barefoot. What made it feel awkward for you?

I always just take my socks off for my exams. I don’t know if they would care if I didn’t but I assumed everything off except underwear means socks as well.

I always just take my socks off for my exams. I don’t know if they would care if I didn’t but I assumed everything off except underwear means socks as well.

Does the doctor ever exam your feet? It would be quick and easy to pull off a sock if he/she wanted to check them.

Does the doctor ever exam your feet? It would be quick and easy to pull off a sock if he/she wanted to check them.

No he didn’t. Honestly I probably didn’t have to take them off but it was never a big deal to me so I just did it anyways.

Every exam I have ever had except for one, I believe I was specifically told to remove my socks. The doctors did check my feet but only for a very brief time I dislike having to do so because those exam rooms are always so cold...and if my feet are cold, then the rest of my body is also cold.

Pretty much. I went in with addidas track pants, sneakers and nike socks, and a sweatshirt with shirt.

I took my sweatshirt off immediately. Then socks off for whole exam. Even though my feet were checked for about two minutes. Extremely sensitive feet so just touching them can make me squirm.. that's pretty much why I was a bit nervous.. way too sensitive.

At both of the doctors, I have had them ask that you take your socks off once you are on the table. No colored polish either. She likes to press on your nails to make sure there is good blood flow and to make sure there is no swelling.

My sister's girlfriend was not aware of it until she started going to our doctor. She said her old doctor let her keep her socks on the whole time. I take an old pair of socks with me and a ziplock baggie. When I strip in the changing room I switch to the old socks. Then when I get on the table I take them off and the nurse takes them. After the doctor is done with me and my legs are still in the stirrups the nurse puts them back on me.

She always takes my upper arm to make sure when I sit up I don't get dizzy and also puts a hand on my back as I am sitting up. She also asks if I need help getting dressed. She does that to everyone.

I always tell her no but thanks for asking. Then when I get back in the changing room I take the old socks off and put them in the baggie and put my good socks on. They are fine with this and they know I am a nurse. When I was working at the hospital I always left my shoes in the garage. A lot of nasty stuff gets tracked around in a hospital. They try to make it as clean as possible. You also have to think about the spitters. They are gross.

When I lived in an apartment years ago there was a guy who lived a few apartments down who was always clearing his sinuses and throat and spitting all over the place, in the bushes and sidewalks and parking areas. One time I smelled it and told him in front of his daughter that he needed to go see a doctor because he had an infection. They both looked at me and with a snotty attitude said are you a doctor. I said nope but I am a nurse and I have spent my time cleaning it up and a lot of times doctors don't even smell it because they don't get close enough.

A few days later I saw his daughter in the parking lot and she thanked me. Her dad was in the hospital with a bad infection in an isolation room. The point of what I just said is that if you ask the staff if it is alright for you to wear some old socks or even take a pair of flip flops and a ziplock baggie to put them in after then take them home and clean them chances are the staff will be more than happy to work with you on that. You will not be the first.

I’ve never been forced to take my socks off, and I usually choose to leave them on. If and when the doctor needs to look at my feet, they just slip them off.

At my physical exams I'm asked to take my socks off.

At my physicals they always ask me to take my socks off.

I usually have taken everything off except underwear and socks but the doctor has multiple times removed them and tossed them on chair.