Most people who come in after a car crash can tell you where it hurt that morning. Fewer can tell you what their week looked like, and that detail often matters as much. A desk job, a shift on your feet, or a route that involves lifting boxes or hauling a tool bag each asks something different from your neck, back, hips and hands. Writing those demands down before your visit gives the examiner a picture of your ordinary day, not just the day of the wreck.
This is educational information, not a diagnosis. Nothing here tells you what is wrong with you. It is a way to organize your own observations so the conversation starts from facts you can point to.
Why the job belongs in the notes
Your body does not stop working when you walk out of the office or the warehouse. The same tasks you did before the crash still happen after it, and some may now feel different. A person who sits at a keyboard for six hours may notice that the upper back is the first thing to tighten by mid-afternoon. A person who stands on concrete may notice the feet and knees before anything else. Neither detail is a conclusion. Both are useful observations to bring in.
Many people leave work details out because they seem unrelated to the injury. Work history is a normal part of an intake, though, and it helps an examiner understand which movements and positions you return to every day.
A simple ledger to fill out
Take one sheet of paper or a note on your phone and make three columns: task, body area, and what changed. Keep it short. Work from your memory of the last two or three typical workdays rather than an ideal week.
In the task column, list the physical actions your job requires. Examples include sitting at a desk, driving a delivery route, lifting materials, climbing ladders, standing at a counter, carrying a child, or repetitive hand work such as typing or scanning. Be specific about duration when you can, such as 'about four hours seated' or 'lifting cases in the first two hours of a shift.'
In the body area column, name the part of you that gets involved: low back, neck, shoulder, wrist, hip, knee or foot. If more than one area is involved, list each one.
In the what changed column, write plainly what is different since the crash. Use your own words. 'Harder to get out of the chair' is more useful than a guess at a diagnosis. If nothing has changed in a given row, write that too. A complete ledger includes the tasks that do not bother you.
Timing matters as much as tasks
Add a short note about when each symptom shows up. Some people notice stiffness at the start of a shift, others after the second hour, and others only at the end of the day or the next morning. Write the clock time or the point in the shift when you first notice it. This tells the examiner how your body responds to load and rest, which is different information from a list of tasks.
Also note whether you have had to change your work routine. Did you take extra breaks, ask a coworker to take the heavy lifts, or move to a lighter schedule? Those adjustments are part of the story. Write them down without judging whether they were the right call.
What to bring and what to leave out
Bring the ledger to your visit and keep a copy for yourself. If you have it, bring a note with your job title and the general physical demands listed by your employer. Do not bring a stack of unrelated paperwork. A single clear page is easier to review than a folder of fragments.
Leave out guesses about fault, speculation about what caused what, and predictions about how long recovery will take. Those questions are for the examiner to explore with you. Your job is to describe what you have observed.
If you cannot work right now
Some people cannot do their usual job for a period after a crash. If that is your situation, record the tasks you are avoiding, the ones you have been asked to stop, and the ones you are still doing. Note what led to each decision, whether it was a symptom, a restriction you were given, or your own judgment about safety. Honest notes are more useful than tidy ones.
If you have sudden weakness, numbness, trouble walking, changes in bladder or bowel control, or severe pain that is getting worse, do not wait for a scheduled visit. Seek emergency care right away.