When a knee, wrist, shoulder, or ankle hurts after sport, the injured side gets all the attention. The other side usually gets skipped, or it gets remembered as 'fine' without anyone checking. An entry that records both sides on the same day gives you a reference point, and it gives your examiner something more useful than a single description of the sore spot.
This is educational information, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed examiner can tell you what is going on in your body. What follows is a way to keep a cleaner record between now and an appointment in the St. Louis area, so the visit starts with facts instead of memory.
Why the other side works as a control
Many joints look normal at rest, and a small difference in swelling, color, or shape is easy to miss when you have nothing to compare it against. Your uninjured side is a built-in control. It belongs to the same person, with the same age, habits, and daily loads. If the injured side looks puffier than the other, write that down. If the two sides look the same, write that down too, because it narrows the question.
What each line should contain
Start every entry with the date, the time, and what you were doing in the hours before the check. Then describe the same features for each side, in the same order every time. Keep it to plain observations: how the skin looks, whether there is visible swelling and where it sits, how the joint moves when you bend or turn it, and whether it feels different when you stand, walk, or grip something. Use the same words for both sides so the entries can be read side by side.
Avoid words that only describe a mood, such as weird or off. Write what happened instead. A line that says stiff after a long drive, with the time noted, is more useful than bad today. If you can see a difference, say which side is larger, darker, or harder to move, and measure it with a tape or ruler when you can.
Keeping the comparison fair
A side-to-side comparison only works when the conditions match. Check both sides at the same time of day, in the same light, and in the same posture. A joint that has been warmed up by a session can look and move differently from one that has been resting for hours, so note whether you have trained, showered, or been on your feet before you check. Pick one routine, such as the morning before you train or the evening after work, and keep it for every entry.
Some people have a dominant arm or leg that carries more muscle or moves differently for ordinary reasons. That is not a problem, but it does mean the uninjured side is not always a perfect match. Write down what you know about that difference, so the examiner does not have to guess. If the uninjured side has its own history of old strains or sprains, mention that too rather than assuming it is clean.
What the record can and cannot show
The log does not replace a hands-on exam, and it cannot tell you the cause of a difference. What it does is show change over time. A swelling pattern that appears only after a certain drill, or stiffness that fades by midday, is information worth bringing in. So is a record that shows no difference across several days. Both results help. Neither one is a reason to decide on your own that you are fine or that you are seriously hurt.
When to book the exam instead of finishing the log
If the difference is growing from one entry to the next, if you cannot put weight on the limb, or if you notice numbness, tingling, or a change in color or temperature, do not wait until the log looks complete. Book an examination this week. A few days of careful notes are useful, but they should never delay a visit that is already needed. Bring the entries, dated and in order, and let the examiner decide what they mean.