Most people think about a car accident in terms of the drive itself: the seat belt, the airbag, the moment of impact. Days later, many people notice something quieter. Their arm stops partway up when they reach for a cabinet, their hair takes longer to rinse, or they wake at night unable to find a comfortable position. These small movements are easy to dismiss, and they are easy to forget by the time you sit down to describe them.
This article is about keeping a simple record of those daily motions. It is educational only. It cannot tell you what is causing a change in how you move, and it is not a substitute for an exam. What it can do is help you bring specific, dated observations to a visit instead of a general sense that something feels off.
Start with the reaches you already make
Overhead reaching shows up in more places than most people expect. Taking a plate down from a high shelf, lifting a laundry basket onto a dryer, reaching into the back of a closet, or pulling a bag from an overhead bin on a bus all ask the shoulder, upper back and neck to work together.
Write down the reaches that feel different now. Note the height (roughly shoulder level, above the head, or behind you), which hand you used, and what slowed or stopped you. A line like "Saturday, reached for the top cabinet with the left hand, stopped partway and used the right to guide it" gives an examiner far more to work with than "my shoulder hurts."
Showers and hair washing
Washing hair is one of the most common overhead tasks people never think to log. Lifting the arms to scrub the scalp, holding the head tilted back under the water, or reaching for a bottle on a high ledge can all load the neck and shoulders in ways that are easy to overlook.
If you have noticed that you shorten the time you spend on your hair, switch which arm you wash with first, or tilt your head to one side to rinse, write that down. Also note whether you needed help from someone else, and whether you changed your routine to avoid a particular motion. Those adjustments are useful because they show how your body may be compensating, even when you are not consciously aware of it.
Sleep setup and the first few nights
Many people who were in a crash say they cannot sleep the way they used to. Some add pillows to prop up an arm, avoid lying on one side, or sleep in a recliner because lying flat feels wrong. Others wake several times and reposition.
Describe your setup plainly. How many pillows do you use, and where do they go? Which side or position have you avoided? Is there a particular moment when you wake, such as when you turn over or after you have been still for a while? Keep this note for about a week if you can. A short entry each morning is enough. You do not need to capture every waking moment, only the pattern you notice.
Turning the notes into something usable
After a few days of entries, read them back and look for repetition. Which motions appear more than once? Which have changed from one day to the next? Are there tasks you have stopped doing entirely?
Keep the wording factual. Record what you did, when you did it and what happened, without adding guesses about the cause. "Tuesday, washed hair standing, could not lift the left arm above the ear, finished with the right hand" is more helpful than a conclusion about the injury. An examiner can take those details and ask the questions that matter.
Bring the notes to your visit, and keep a copy on your phone so you can show it at the front desk. If something new appears, such as numbness, weakness that is getting worse or trouble with your balance, do not wait for your next appointment. Contact a medical provider promptly.
What to expect at the visit
A useful first visit usually starts with a conversation about what happened and what you have noticed since. Your notes give that conversation structure. They also help you remember details you might otherwise lose, such as which activities you stopped or how long each episode lasted.
If you are in the St. Louis metro and weighing an exam this week, a clear log of your overhead reaches, hair washing and sleep position is one of the simplest things you can prepare. It does not replace the exam, and it does not decide the outcome. It gives your examiner a clearer picture to work from.