Softball on Tuesday nights, a pickup game on Saturday morning, a long hike on a clear weekend, or a hard set at the gym after work. Across the St. Louis metro, many people put real strain on their spine through recreational sport and never think of those hours as part of their health history. If you are deciding whether to get examined this week, a short written record of how you play can make the first conversation far more useful.
This guide is educational. It does not tell you what is wrong, and it is not a substitute for an evaluation by a licensed clinician. Its purpose is to help you describe what you do so the person you see has accurate information to work with.
Start With an Activity List
Write down every physical activity you do in a typical month. Include the sport or activity name, how often you do it, how long each session lasts, and where it happens. A backyard game, a community league and a weekly run are all worth listing. If you have a role in the activity, such as catcher, goalkeeper, lineman or the person who always carries the heavy bag, write that down too. Position and role often change how the body is loaded.
Note anything that changed recently. A new season, a new coach, a new pair of shoes, a heavier bag, or a switch from one court to another can all matter. These details are easy to forget by the time you book, so capture them while they are fresh.
Log the Load, Not Just the Game
A game is a schedule. The load is what your body actually did. For each session, describe the hard parts in plain words. Did you twist while swinging? Did you sprint, stop suddenly, lift overhead, or take repeated impacts? Did you fall, get tackled, or land awkwardly? If you fell, write the direction, the surface, and whether you caught yourself. Plain notes such as "slipped on wet turf, landed on my right hip" are more useful than general labels.
Then track the days after. Write the date, the time of day, what you noticed, and how long it lasted. Did stiffness show up the next morning, or two days later? Did it ease with rest, movement, or heat? You are not diagnosing anything here. You are recording a sequence of events so the timing is clear.
Separate Sport From Work and Chores
Many people who play hard also lift, carry, drive long hours or do heavy yard work. Those activities overlap in the body, and an examiner needs to know which ones happened and when. Keep sport on one page or one column, and work or household tasks on another. If you mowed the lawn the day before a match, write both down. If you hauled boxes on Friday and played on Saturday, note the order.
Record what you changed as well. Did you skip a game, shorten a practice, stop a particular movement, or use a brace or a warm pack? Changes in behavior are part of the story, and they help explain what you have been living with.
Bring It to the Visit
Bring your record in a form that is easy to read, either printed or saved on your phone. If you keep a team calendar or a fitness app, bring a screenshot of the relevant weeks. Keep the note short and factual. A page of clear dates and descriptions is more helpful than a long essay.
When you book, mention that you play sport or train regularly. The scheduler may be able to plan enough time for a fuller conversation. During the visit, describe the movement that bothers you in your own words, and say "I don't know" when you are unsure. An honest gap is better than a guess. The examiner decides what matters clinically, and your job is to make sure the facts reach them.
Start today with three lines: the activity, the date, and one thing your body noticed afterward. You can add to the record each week. By the time you walk in, you will have a timeline that reflects how you actually play, not how you remember it.