Back injuries and spinal disorders are some of the most common reasons people apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). They’re also among the most difficult claims to prove. Even when a back injury shows up on imaging tests, the diagnosis doesn’t always equate to an inability to work in a Social Security Disability Examiner’s mind.
Because of that, you need your medical records to give a clear picture of exactly how your back condition affects your ability to function. Here are four ways you can strengthen your case:
1. Get consistent treatment
Regular, ongoing care is essential to any disability claim, but it is particularly important with back conditions, including herniated discs, degenerative disc disease and the like. Consistent treatment helps establish the fact that your condition is ongoing and highly problematic, not temporary or something that you can manage on your own.
Visits with your primary care physician, orthopedic doctor, pain management and/or physical therapist all point to the fact that you’re experiencing real, lasting pain that negatively affects your life. Conversely, gaps in treatment can make SSA question whether your pain is as limiting as you claim.
2. Make sure your medical records tell the full story
You may have plenty of X-rays, MRIs and other imaging tests that reveal the source of your back trouble, but you need to connect those images to your symptoms and limitations. Most medical records focus on diagnosis and treatment, not on how your condition actually affects you.
At every visit, talk to your doctor about your actual symptoms. For example, you may need to mention things like pain that radiates into your legs, numbness or tingling in your feet or hands, muscle weakness or difficulty walking and standing. Unless you bring these topics up, your doctor may fail to include them in their office notes – and that’s a critical flaw in your records.
3. Know how to talk about your condition
Telling your doctor that you have “chronic back pain” is vague, nonspecific information that might be enough to satisfy their purposes – but it doesn’t do much for your SSDI claim.
When you talk with your doctors about your condition, learn to include information about your functional limitations, such as the fact that you:
- Can’t sit for more than an hour or two without changing positions or lying down
- Have significant difficulty standing for more than a few minutes
- Struggle to lift even a jug of milk or can’t get up off the floor unassisted
- Frequently need to lie down during the day because of pain and fatigue
Your doctors will usually note down what you tell them, and those details speak volumes in a disability claim.
4. Track your flare-ups
Any condition that involves chronic pain is going to ebb and flow, and back conditions are no exception. You’re going to have good days and bad days. Keeping a journal that documents your pain and other symptoms lends more strength to your claim.
You can track your pain levels and note what triggers symptoms, note down the events you had to skip or the things you had to ask for help with because of pain and even keep track of how well various treatments work. Take these notes with you to your doctors’ appointments so they can be added to your chart.
Many valid SSDI claims are denied simply because they are not presented the “right” way. An experienced SSDI attorney knows what evidence needs to be gathered, how information should be framed and where SSA’s vocational experts can be challenged. Having a professional guide your application or appeal can vastly improve your chances of success.