Don’t Back Down: Chronic Back Pain and Qualifying for SSDI/SSI Benefits

Throughout the course of our lives, almost all of us will experience back pain at one point or another. In fact, an estimated 80% of the population suffers through back pain at some point. Most will recover over time or with physical therapy. But for some, back pain becomes a chronic condition that severely limits their ability to work.

Throughout the course of our lives, almost all of us will experience back pain at one point or another. In fact, an estimated 80% of the population suffers through back pain at some point. Most will recover over time or with physical therapy. But for some, back pain becomes a chronic condition that severely limits their ability to work.

Chronic Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common types of chronic back pain. According to the National Institute of Health, people in the U.S. spend $50 billion annually to treat the condition. Back pain symptoms that occur at any level of the spine and persist for three months or more are considered chronic. These symptoms can include but are not limited to aching, sharpness, burning, numbness, and tingling.

In addition to the physical symptoms of chronic pain, it’s common to experience emotional symptoms as well. These might include fatigue, sleeplessness, anger, anxiety, depression, and total or partial disability. When filing for disability for back pain, be sure to document any and all symptoms you’ve experienced.

What Back Problems Qualify For Disability

To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, chronic back pain sufferers must prove they have a medically determinable impairment. Additionally, the impairment must last or be expected to last for a minimum of one year. SSDI and SSI claimants must also exhibit functional limitations that prevent performance of simple work activities on a full-time basis.

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Blue Book provides a checklist of objective symptoms for spinal disorders and other medical conditions. To be approved for disability benefits, individuals must match the symptoms outlined there.

Qualifying conditions include degenerative disc disease, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal stenosis, and several others. However, none of these diagnoses guarantee that your disability application will be approved. Successful applications must provide evidence of the disease as well as the specific qualifying symptoms outlined in the Blue Book.

Back Pain Study

An Australian study recently followed the healing progress of 11,200 patients who had either acute or chronic back pain. The study indicated that seeking medical treatment helped with their pain symptoms. Individuals with acute back pain had less pain after six weeks. Those with chronic pain improved after six weeks, but to a lesser extent.

When the back pain sufferers in the study were revisited a year later, all showed mild levels of disability. This demonstrates that back pain is a recurrent condition that regularly lasts for more than a year.

Don’t Back Down: Reach Out For Help

Chronic back pain often persists through multiple treatments and even surgical intervention. Conditions like failed fusion syndrome can leave patients with unmanageable pain. As a result, they may be unable to return to normal work and leisure activities. In addition to seeking further treatment to combat their pain, these patients often need more than just medical help.

Social Security disability benefits provide that additional assistance. But getting approved for disability benefits for back problems can be challenging, largely because of how difficult it is to measure pain.

Thus, consulting an attorney provides you with a much better chance of getting the aid you need. And doing so before you submit your application could save you from suffering through the months-long appeals process.

An experienced disability lawyer will help you navigate the complex Social Security system. They’ll show the SSA that you will not back down from proving that you’re entitled to SSDI or SSI benefits.

At The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Rabin & Associates, we offer free evaluations of patient’s cases. We have some of the best disability lawyers in the Chicago area on our team. And we can lead you through every step of the application process.

So call us today at (847) 229-0008 and let us fight to get you the help you deserve.