Chronic pain is a key feature of many health conditions – but it’s not something that can be shown on a lab test or revealed through an x-ray. So, how do you document your pain so that it can be properly considered when you file for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
A pain journal may be your best ally in the months leading up to the time when you file your claim.
What’s a pain journal?
Every time you visit a doctor, you’ll be asked to rate your pain on a scale of one to 10, with one being “no pain at all” to 10 being “unbearable.”
All that does, however, is capture a snapshot in time – a single moment that doesn’t really speak to your daily reality. Even if you consistently say that you’re somewhere between a “five” and a “seven,” on the pain scale, that doesn’t explain how your pain limits you.
This is where a pain journal comes into play. You can use your pain journal to create a clearer picture for your doctor of how your pain affects you on a personal level over several weeks or months. For example, you can record information in a journal at set times in the morning, afternoon and evening, with details like:
- How you rate the pain from 1-10
- Whether the pain is burning, tingling, shooting, throbbing or aching
- What you think may have triggered the pain, if anything
- How your pain is affecting your mood, whether it causes depression or anxiety
Finally, make sure that you describe how your pain affects your ability to function. Were you unable to stand to make dinner? Did you have to take a three-hour nap? Were you in so much pain that you couldn’t even sleep? Did you end up crying from the pain and have to cancel your plans with family?
Copy the pages from your pain journal and take them with you to your next appointment so that your doctor can put them in your records. That way, they become something that the Social Security Administration can access when they make a decision on your disability claim.
When a chronic health condition becomes too much, there is legal guidance available that can make filing for SSDI or SSI much easier.