People with back pain find their situations among the most challenging to prove and win. Frequently, “objective medical findings” may not fully support a patient’s reported experience of pain and movement limitations. Winning Social Security disability claims based on back pain can be tricky.
Our Social Security Disability Lawyers at O’Neil and Bowman Disability Group believe evidence from multiple sources is the key to getting approved.
What’s Need For A Successful Disability Application
In cases of disability based on back problems, there is sometimes clear evidence – such as a CT scan of a ruptured disk. In other situations, surgery has failed to improve the condition. To get approved for disability benefits based on back pain, a claimant’s records must show:
- Pain, muscle spasm, and significant limitation of motion of the spine
- Documented pain distribution and significant motor loss with muscle weakness, and sensory and reflex loss.
These factors must have persisted for at least three months despite prescribed therapy, and last or be expected to last at least 12 months.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) wants your pain symptoms to be supported by “objective” findings of physical abnormalities. Findings can be supplied by x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, lumbar myelograms, or bone scans.
Nerve conduction studies may be helpful. Keep in mind that soft tissue damage such as a bulging disc or muscle damage will not show up in an x-ray.
It’s also important to note the side effects of pain medications like drowsiness, confusion, and lethargy.
Ideally, a treating physician will supply medical records or a report that describes these elements in detail, along with:
- Any surgical operative and discharge notes
- The character, location, and radiation of the patient’s pain
- Activities that increase or relieve pain
- Prescribed treatment, including frequency of medication
- The patient’s typical daily activities
- Description of problems with gait, limitation of movement of the spine, and any numbness or muscle spasm. Medical reports must be based on objective observations during the patient’s examination, not simply from the patient’s statements.
Contact Our SSD Lawyer In Portsmouth
Let our team at O’Neil and Bowman Disability Group help your social security disability case get approved. If you have pain, muscle spasms, and limitation of motion preventing the performance of a previous job, then you might be eligible for disability benefits.
Whether you’re looking to file a claim for the first time or go through the appeals process, our lawyers are ready to help you. Social Security applies a complex set of guidelines to these cases, evaluating other work for which you may be suited. Contact our Social Security Disability Lawyer in Norfolk or Portsmouth today.
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