A seatbelt is built to hold you in place during a sudden stop, and it does that by pressing across the chest, the hips, and in most cars one shoulder. Some people who feel sore after a crash notice the neck or low back first and only later pay attention to a dull ache on the side where the shoulder strap sits. Writing down what your shoulder and collarbone are doing now gives you something specific to share at an exam.
Where the strap crosses
The shoulder strap usually runs from a point near the top of the door frame down across the chest, so the shoulder nearest the door often takes much of the load. Many people are turned at the moment a car stops, reaching for a child, a bag, or a phone. A turned body changes where the strap sits and how the arm is positioned. You do not need to remember exact angles. A rough picture is enough: which hand was on the wheel, whether you were leaning toward the window, and whether your arm was resting on the door or the center console.
The shoulder is connected to the neck and upper back through several muscles, so an ache in one area can be felt in another. That is one reason examiners tend to look at the whole upper body rather than a single spot. Your notes can help by naming the side, the exact place (the top of the shoulder, the front of the collarbone, the muscle between shoulder and neck, or under the arm), and how it feels when you are still compared with when you move.
Everyday movements to note
The shoulder does a lot of quiet work during an ordinary day. For a few days, keep a short written list of tasks that bring the ache on or make it ease. Pulling a shirt or jacket over that arm, fastening a bra or reaching behind your back, carrying a purse or bag on that shoulder, reaching across your body to the other side, and pushing yourself up from a bed or chair with your arms are all worth a line each. Note what happened the first time you tried the task that day and whether it changed later.
Describe the feeling in your own words. A dull ache, a sharp catch, a pulling sensation, tingling, or warmth each tells a different story to the person examining you. Note whether a deep breath changes it, whether lifting the arm out to the side changes it, and whether light pressure on the collarbone changes it. Write what you notice, not what you think it means. Guessing at causes is what the examiner is there to help you sort out.
What an examiner may ask
At an exam, the examiner often asks you to move the arm in several directions, to hold a position while they check for pain, and to point to where you feel it. Some of those movements will repeat what you do at home, and that is useful. Bring your notes so you can name a specific task instead of saying the shoulder hurts sometimes. An examiner cannot settle a question from a written description alone, and these notes are not a diagnosis either. Their purpose is to make your history clear and complete.
Write down any earlier shoulder or collarbone trouble, even old trouble that seemed to clear up, and any heavy work or sport that used that arm before the crash. Mention whether you slept well and whether the ache changed from one day to the next. List the names of any providers who have seen you since the crash. Keep the note in your phone or on paper, with the date at the top, so it is easy to read in the room.
When not to wait
Some signs need urgent care rather than a scheduled visit. Trouble breathing, chest pain that is severe or spreading, fainting, new weakness or numbness in an arm or hand, or a shoulder that looks out of shape after a hit all call for emergency help right away. Waiting for a convenient appointment is the wrong choice in those situations.
For a shoulder that aches but still lets you breathe, move, and get through the day, a calm exam this week is a reasonable step. The notes you wrote in the first days after the crash are often the most useful thing you can bring. Before you leave the room, ask the examiner to explain in plain terms what they found and what the next steps are, and write those steps down while they are still fresh.