Chronic Pain Can Be the Basis for Social Security Disability Benefits
People who suffer from chronic pain sometimes have trouble convincing the Social Security Administration that their pain prevents them from working. However, it is possible to get Social Security disability benefits for pain.
Florida disability claimants who are plagued by chronic pain should understand that presenting a case to the Social Security Administration based on pain requires a combination of two different types of evidence: objective evidence from medical records and reports, and subjective evidence from testimony about the severity of the pain.
Seven Things the Social Security Administration Considers When It Evaluates Whether Chronic Pain Qualifies as a Disability
If your Social Security disability claim is based on chronic pain, then in addition to the objective medical evidence that it considers, the Social Security Administration is required by its own regulations to also look at the following matters:
- Your daily activities.
- The location, duration, frequency, and intensity of your pain or your other symptoms.
- Any factors that might precipitate or aggravate your symptoms.
- The medication that you either take or have taken to alleviate your pain. This includes the type of medication, the dosage you take, its effectiveness, and any side effects.
- Other types of treatment (other than medication) that you have received for relief of your pain.
- Things other than treatment that you use or have used to relieve your pain.
- Anything else about your functional limitations and restrictions that are due to your pain.
The Social Security Administration Needs Objective Evidence to Approve Disability Benefits for Chronic Pain
Pain is a very subjective thing, and different people experience it differently. Two people can have the same injury or condition, but one may suffer from much more pain than the other. However, the Social Security Administration does not rely solely on subjective evidence — it requires objective evidence about your chronic pain.
That is, there must be some supporting objective medical evidence about your pain. This objective medical evidence comes from your medical records and reports and is based on medical signs, symptoms, and laboratory findings.
Your Chronic Pain Must Be Connected to a Medically Determinable Impairment
The objective medical evidence that the Social Security Administration reviews for your disability claim must show that there is a medically determinable impairment that would cause the pain that prevents you from working. In other words, the doctor’s reports must show an underlying physical or mental impairment that could reasonably be expected to cause the pain. The impairment must be an anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormality that can be shown by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques.
Thus, your statements about how your pain causes problems and prevents you from doing things are not enough on their own. The Social Security Administration requires medical signs and laboratory findings that show the existence of a medical impairment that is consistent with your subjective evidence of chronic pain.
Get Knowledgeable Legal Help With Your Florida Social Security Disability Claim
The Social Security Administration’s rules are technical and complex, and the process of establishing a claim based on chronic pain can be confusing and frustrating. Having an experienced Social Security disability lawyer on your side can take some of the worry away and increase your chances of success.
If you are not already represented by a Florida Social Security disability attorney, contact us today for a free evaluation of your case and get connected with the help you need.
