Many people in the St. Louis metro spend most of a weekday in one chair. Some notice the first signs as a few weeks of stiffness that never fully leaves, while others feel it only after a long week of deadlines. Before you book an exam, it helps to know what to write down about that sitting, because a general sentence like "my desk is bad" gives an examiner very little to work with.
NPR Health published a piece on October 22, 2026, titled "Achy from sitting at a desk all day? Try doing this," which lists simple ways to ease the aches that come with long hours at a computer. Its summary starts with a plain point: "Sitting at a desk all day hurts." That is a useful reminder that desk discomfort is common, but common does not mean it should be ignored when it keeps returning. This article is educational only and is not a diagnosis.
Start with the hours, not the feeling
Write down roughly how many hours you sit on a normal workday, and how many on a day with travel or long meetings. Include the drive in, lunch at the desk, and evening screen time if that is where the rest of your sitting happens. Note whether you stand up on your own or only when a call or meeting forces you to. Estimates are fine as long as you label them as estimates.
Next, describe the setup. Is the chair height adjustable, and does your back touch the backrest? Where does the screen sit compared with your eyes? Do you lean forward to read small type, rest your wrists on the edge of the keyboard, or cross your legs for most of the morning? These details look ordinary, but they show an examiner how your body is held for hours at a time, and they help you notice changes after you adjust something.
Track what changes across the day
Symptoms often shift with the clock. Stiffness at 8 a.m. may ease by lunch, then return by mid-afternoon. Eye strain may build late in the day, and a dull ache across the shoulders may show up only on days with back-to-back calls. Jot down the time, what you were doing, and what you noticed. Keep each entry to a few plain words so it stays easy to read when you sit down with an examiner.
Eye symptoms belong on the list too. The NPR piece pairs its desk advice with eye muscle exercises meant to ease eye strain, so it is reasonable to note whether your eyes feel tired, dry, or heavy after screen time. Record these as they happen rather than writing a neat summary the night before, since a summary written from memory tends to smooth out the details that matter.
What to bring and say
Bring a short written list covering your sitting hours, your workstation setup, the time-of-day pattern, and any stretches, chair changes, or standing breaks you have tried, with the date and result of each. A clear sentence such as "I stood for part of each morning for two weeks, and my back felt looser before lunch but not after" gives more information than "nothing works."
Also name what sits outside your desk life. A weekend ache from yard work, a new sport, or a long drive on a holiday is worth mentioning separately so it does not blur into the picture of your workday. If a change started on a particular date, write that date down, even if you are not sure of the exact day.
Know the limits of a list
A notebook helps you describe your situation clearly, but it cannot tell you what is causing a change in how you feel. Only an in-person exam can look at posture, movement, and how the body responds to touch and motion. If stiffness spreads down an arm or leg, comes with numbness, tingling, or weakness, wakes you at night, or follows a fall or crash, do not wait on a desk routine. Get urgent medical care right away.
Missouri Injury Clinic, with Joseph L. Hollingsworth, DC, can review your notes during an exam, ask follow-up questions, and explain what any findings do and do not mean for your situation. Bring the list, arrive a few minutes early, and be ready to describe your desk, your hours, and the attempts you have made so far in plain words.