According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2021, approximately one in five adults in the United States lives with chronic pain. Chronic pain is a constant or intermittent physical pain that can persist beyond the normal healing time, even after the initial cause is resolved. With this, it may hurt your well-being and ability to function regularly in your daily life, including your ability to work. And so, you may wonder if you are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits with your chronic pain. Please read on to discover whether chronic pain qualifies as a disability and how a seasoned attorney in physical disability SSDI benefits in New Jersey, at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, can help you get the physical, emotional, and financial relief you deserve.
Does chronic pain qualify as an SSDI benefits disability?
Well, chronic pain in and of itself may not be enough to make you eligible for SSDI benefits. However, in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Blue Book for qualifying disabilities, there may be certain health conditions in which your chronic pain is a leading symptom. In other words, you may still consider pursuing an application if any of the following medical diagnoses is causing your chronic pain:
- Chronic kidney failure (i.e., renal disease).
- Inflammatory arthritis (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis).
- Inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis).
- Back and spinal cord injuries (i.e., spinal stenosis, herniated discs).
- Neurological disorders (i.e., multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease).
- Somatoform disorders (i.e., mental conditions that cause physical symptoms).
How do I prove that my chronic pain causes functional limitations?
It is not enough to claim to the SSA that you have a qualifying disability that comes with chronic pain. Rather, you must demonstrate that this chronic pain causes functional limitations, to the extent that you cannot execute substantial gainful activity (SGA) for at least 12 months. Examples of such functional limitations are as follows:
- Your ability to walk, stand, and sit to perform work-related activities.
- Your ability to lift, push, pull, reach, carry, and handle items for work-related activities.
- Your ability to understand and carry out instructions given by your supervisor during work.
- Your ability to physically and mentally handle changes to the work setting while performing activities.
With that, one of the best ways to prove your functional limitations is through your medical records. This may consist of your diagnostic test results, prescription medications, and a consistent catalogue of your treatment and pain management history.
But also, your treating physician may provide a written statement of your chronic pain’s duration and intensity, along with how it may affect your daily activities and work-related activities. It helps if your treating physician is a pain management specialist, such as a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon. Or, possibly even your physical therapist or cognitive behavioral therapist.
If you have made it this far, please do not hesitate to seek further information from a competent attorney in SSDI eligibility in New Jersey. The team at The Law Offices of Sheryl Gandel Mazur is willing and able to guide you through your future legal processes.
